Double Edged Sword
by Light and Noise
Summary: Team 7. Brooding, cynical, lazy, and late. Beneath these superficial words, though, lies something more sinister, something no one knows what to do with: the lust for power. The mindless, burning lust for power. This is Team 7. *Updates on Sundays.* *Yaoi*
1. In The Beginning

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language

**Blanket Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

[X x X]

Mornings were always the hardest. It wasn't just getting up and it wasn't his lack of sleep, it was the thought of what the day would entail. The same things seemed to repeat themselves over and over, despite his best attempt at shaking things up a bit. The clock on his bedside table blinked 3:59AM at him and he squinted at the bright orange words. It was four in the morning and he'd barely fallen asleep at one. Surely that wasn't healthy for him.

The boy exhaled sharply and forced himself into a sitting position on his bed, the comforter and sheets pooling at his waist. He drew his knees to his chest and rested his elbows atop them, holding his head in his hands. His fingers dug into deep blond hair, digging at the roots as he tried to get the nightmare to leave his head. Maybe if he cleaned his room, the nightmare would leave. While cleaning his room wouldn't have been his first choice, at four in the morning Uzumaki Naruto couldn't afford to be picky. Besides, Sai had been nagging him to clean his room lately. It would get his friend off his back and get the nightmare to go away. A goal in mind, Naruto flung himself from his bed and made his way to the bedroom door, flicking the light switch on. He squinted against the sudden light onslaught and surveyed his room; he had his work cut out for him -that was for sure. The bed and the bedside table seemed to be the only clean surfaces in his room. The blond sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, staring at the mess around him.

Empty ramen cups stood on their bottoms or lay on their sides at various points around his room; chopsticks from those ramen cups were strewn about messily, almost begging for a splinter. Filthy, dirty, and mildly wearable clothes were lying on the floor and there was a pair of boxers hanging from the door to his closet and some briefs sitting innocently on his desk chair. Scrolls were lying about in various states of openness, baring their secrets to any shinobi leaping past the window to his room. That was unlikely but still plausible. On his desk there were empty inkwells and wads of paper as well as sheets of fresh, clean paper lying about. A book on seals was lying open over the back of his desk chair. Books were all over the room; Naruto even spotted a book peeking out from under his bed. Oh Kami, he was not looking forward to that trip.

Naruto stretched his body out and left his bedroom quickly, going to the kitchen where he kept his garbage bags. He grabbed the box off garbage bags and made his way back to his room. He took a deep breath and took a bag out. _Let the cleaning begin_, he thought sarcastically to himself. He shook the bag open and began collecting ramen cups and chopsticks; the real garbage would be easiest to do first. After he tackled that, he would get paper and inkwells and then we would put his dirty clothes in need of washing in a bag and take that bag to the crappy washer and dryer that had come with the apartment. He couldn't complain about them; at least they were there and he had plumbing.

Cleaning up the ramen seemed to be an endless task; he ate so damn much of it. If it wasn't a ramen cup, it was chopsticks. At the rate he seemed to be eating ramen, he'd have a heart attack or something. Naruto chuckled to himself and shook his head, continuing to work. Maybe if he finished cleaning his room, he'd treat himself to Ichiraku Ramen for breakfast. There he went again, eating ramen. However, it was cheap so no one could blame him. He only got so much from the Orphan's Fund Konoha had in place, so there really wasn't much he could complain about.

A light laugh escaped Naruto's lips as he tied the garbage bag he'd been filling with ramen cups closed. It was full and slightly bulging out in certain spots and Naruto was fairly certain he'd picked up all the ramen cups and chopsticks. He dipped under his bed and found no more cups, which was good because they probably would have rotted by then. A quick double check of his room showed no more ramen garbage, so Naruto carried his filled bag out of his room and set it by the front door so he wouldn't forget to grab it when he left. The blond tugged awkwardly at his boxers as he walked back to his room to start on the paper. The rest of his room took about two hours, not including shelving the books. When Naruto was done, he let himself sink into his desk chair, a satisfied smile on his face. The pile of books on his bed was nothing compared to the success of cleaning his room.

After a ten minute break, Naruto set to shelving all of his books. When he was done, the twelve year old really wished that he had a camera. Sai would never believe that his room was this clean –it would make for a nice photo to hang in his living room. Naruto laughed at the thought and fell onto his bed that he had decided not to make just yet. He glanced lazily at his clock which blinked that it was almost five thirty in the morning. Wow, had it really taken him that long? All things considered, that was a rather short amount of time for Naruto to have taken and he hadn't even made a clone for assistance! Naruto smiled proudly and rolled out of bed. He shimmied out of his boxers and tossed them into the hamper he had unearthed from his closet. His tank top followed the boxers shortly. Naruto turned to his bureau and dug out a pair of tight black briefs; when he was out and about he preferred briefs but at home preferred boxers. When those were securely on, Naruto went to his closet and pulled some black and orange pants on; they were black with orange zippers and the kanji for 'Toad' going down the outside of his left pant leg. Those secure, Naruto grabbed a plain black tank top and pulled that on. On his way out of his bedroom he grabbed his black hoodie from the back of the door and tapped on his black sandals before he left his apartment. He shrugged on his coat, made sure his two trash bags were outside, and locked the door to his apartment behind him.

Naruto patted himself down, glad to feel his wallet in his jacket pocket. His first stop was the apartment complex dumpster; he tossed his garbage backs and childishly dusted off his palms before he set off down the street, Ichiraku Ramen the one thing on his mind.

[X x X]

Nara Shikamaru had every intention of sleeping until seven thirty that morning. In fact, he went to bed after ten just to make sure he would be asleep for his alarms that were set to go off between five in the morning and seven in the morning. When he woke up at four in the morning, it was obviously something that peeved him to no end. When his dark eyes opened and he saw that it was still dark, Shikamaru had assumed that it was eleven thirty or so. To make sure he was right, Shikamaru rolled over and checked his clock. _Dammit_, he cursed mentally, a scowl marring his features. Of course, the one time Shikamaru didn't mind sleeping in would be the one time he ended up waking up early. The brown haired twelve year old gave a sigh and rolled onto his back. He closed his eyes and let his other senses work their magic; he could hear his mom clanging around in the kitchen already and he could smell something beginning to cook. He could taste the early morning air, or maybe he was imagining it, and he could feel the gentle caress of his sheets on his skin.

_God damn it._ It definitely wasn't Shikamaru's ideal scenario. Four in the morning and he didn't need to be up until seven? Hell no. The dark haired boy grumbled under his breath and opened his eyes, glaring at the ceiling for a moment. He yawned widely and contemplated trying to fall asleep. He knew, though, that he wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon. With an over exaggerated sigh, Shikamaru kicked his legs over the side of his bed and sat up. A shiver shot through his spine when his bare feet touched the cold hard wood floor. He sat there for a few moments, listening to his mom banging around. Maybe it would be best for him to try and sleep. He weighed the pros and cons in his head for a moment before deciding that going down now was the lesser of two evils. It had been a while since he'd helped with breakfast; if he offered to help, maybe his mom would give him some slack after the Genin tests were over and he came home.

As he made his way downstairs, Shikamaru couldn't help but ponder the upcoming Genin tests. They were given every year and anyone in the academy could test for them but it was mandatory at twelve. The brunette wasn't entirely sure that he was ready to be a Genin but it was between that and being stuck in the academy for another year. His mother and father were encouraging him to take the tests and actually try on them. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he descended the stairs; he was known for not trying in school and, on numerous occasions, had been called to retake a test because he had slept through it. Shikamaru shook his head and stepped quietly onto the ground floor of the Nara house. His mother was still making a racket in the kitchen. Shikamaru glanced back up the darkened staircase and hesitated before making his way into the kitchen.

He peered in and watched his mom work for a moment. Her hair was pulled back and she was already dressed for the day in a plain outfit with an apron over that. Next to her, Shikamaru felt like a lazy pig, although that had never stopped the twelve year old before. He watched as she dipped her finger in something on the stove and tasted it. She shook her head and pulled something out of the cupboard above her. Shikamaru waited until she was in a place where she wouldn't spill anything to announce his presence.

"Need any help, Mom?" he asked, his monotonous voice making it hard to tell whether or not he was being serious. The woman shrieked and spun around, clutching at her chest. She gave Shikamaru a stern look.

"Son, don't' scare me like that!" she scolded; her smile seemed to negate her tone, however. "You're up awful early, Shikamaru. Why don't you get out three bento boxes; you can help me box lunch today." Shikamaru gave a short nod and walked to the pantry on the far side of the room. He opened the door and ducked inside, quickly grabbing three bento boxes. He took them to the kitchen table and lined them up, waiting for further instruction from his mother. She was already back to work; a new pot was on the stove and Shikamaru noticed that there was a salad bowl sitting to the side of the stove. "Why are you awake so early, sweetie? Couldn't sleep?"

"On the contrary," Shikamaru grumbled, leaning against the table. "I was pretty much asleep when I went to bed. Troublesome that I'm up so early."

Nara Yoshino looked over her shoulder and smiled at her son, "Well, it's a very good thing you're up! You won't be late for the tests today!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes but couldn't help agreeing with his mother. It was the truth. He would be money, though, on him falling asleep before the first test even started. It was amazing that they had let him pass all his classes and let him do retakes; most of the other students weren't offered test retakes. Shikamaru shook his head again when his mom asked him to help with a dish she was working on.

[X x X]

The Uchiha compound was relatively quiet, as it was every morning. The only occupant being a quiet, antisocial boy, there wasn't much cause for noise or disturbance at the compound. There were morning birds whistling a tune as day tried to break and there were the distant sounds of the market in Konoha that were carried on the wind. If it weren't for the steady thumping sound coming from the Uchiha training grounds, the morning over the compound would have seemed calm and peaceful.

Uchiha Sasuke had been up since four that morning practicing his aim. His strongest memory was not being able to hit something dead center. Sasuke glared at his target which had about ten kunai all grouped up in the center of the bull's-eye. He hadn't hit dead center yet –that usually took some time. A growl escaped the twelve year old and he violently threw the kunai at the target, pleased when it slammed dead center, sending a few of the other kunai spinning off into the dirt. A sneer settled on Sasuke's face and he looked at the target in disgust. Sasuke quickly gathered up his kunai and they were quickly put away in both of his weapon pouches. The black haired teen stood there for a moment, his eyes on the target which had little marks where his kunai had been. If he focused hard enough, he could almost see his kunai marks from earlier in the week.

A scoff left his mouth; now he was imagining things. He was definitely working himself too hard. _Three more exercises_, he told himself. _Then you can take a bath_. With that in mind, the Uchiha made his way to the training logs near the edges of the compound. His dark eyes were zeroed in on the logs and it took him less than a minute to reach them, despite their distance from the kunai targets. There were three logs, two about five feet high and the third in the middle about eight feet high. Sasuke went to the one on the left and began his punches; he did ten sets of ten punches with his left fist and again with his right fist before he moved on to his kicks. He did ten sets of ten shin kicks with each leg before working on round house kicks. By the time Sasuke decided to rest, the sun was halfway up and he was breathing slightly rough. He pressed his back against the log he had been working with and leaned against it, relaxing his body slightly. He stood there for a few minutes before stretching out his body. He had to do one more exercise before he could reward himself with a bath.

The Uchiha stretched out his arms and dropped down into push up position. He did five sets of five pushups and took a minute break before rolling on his back and doing five sets of five sit ups. He rested for a moment before pushing himself up. He rolled his shoulders and began walking back toward the house he'd decided to occupy. It wasn't the one he'd grown up in simply because he couldn't bear the memories. Instead, it was one closer to the Uchiha training grounds than his other home had been. It didn't take Sasuke too long to get home. The second the front door was closed and latched behind him, Sasuke began undressing. He undid his weapon pouches and set them aside for a moment before slipping out of his painfully sweaty clothes. He grabbed his weapon pouches and made his way naked through the house to the bathroom. Since he was so paranoid, Sasuke had long since brought a stool in for his weapon pouches. He set them down and turned on the bath, testing the water. When it was at a satisfactory temperature, he plugged the tub and turned on a lukewarm shower, washing himself down quickly while the bath filled next to him. He shut his shower off and wrung out his hair. The Uchiha stood under the shower and watched the bath slowly fill up, shutting it off when it was where he wanted it.

Gingerly, Sasuke climbed into the bath and let out a content sigh, sinking into the water. His eyes fell closed and his other senses picked up the pace, his hearing especially perked. It wouldn't due for a psychotic girl to peek in on his bath. He relaxed in the bath, his muscles loosening. Although he hadn't checked the time, Sasuke would guess it was somewhere around five thirty-six o'clock in the morning. He would have to check when he was done with his bath. All he really knew was that he wasn't going to be late for the academy because he wanted to take a moment to indulge himself. Sasuke let out yet another content sigh and lean back against the back of the bath, his arms draped over the sides, keeping his head afloat.

"This is nice," he murmured to himself. Here, in the safety of his home, he could relax and be gentle. He didn't have to be the vengeance seeking Uchiha. While he was, that wasn't him all the time. There were times, though few and far between, where Uchiha Sasuke was gentle and good company. Like now. Sasuke seriously doubted, though, that anyone would get close enough to him that they would be able to see him in such a state of relaxation. The raven haired boy grumbled to himself and sunk lower into the bath, hoping the hot water would soothe the thoughts away and maybe even prevent him from more thinking.

[X x X]

"Hey, Iruka?" a voice called out. The brunette in question looked up at his co-worker, Mizuki.

"Yes, Mizuki-Kun?" he asked lightly.

"Wanna place bets on who's going to pass or fail?" Mizuki asked with a playful, almost cute, grin on his face. He made his way over to Iruka's desk and leaned over it, getting in his colleague's face. "Huh? It could be fun!"

Iruka laughed and shook his head at Mizuki's words. "No, Mizuki-Kun," he answered. "It's against my morals to bet on my students. As a teacher, I have faith in all of my pupils."

"Even the demon?" Mizuki taunted. "And what about that lazy boy? Nara. He doesn't do anything, Iruka. How can you think he'd pass?"

Iruka chuckled. "Sometimes, Mizuki, we see things differently. Naruto-Kun and Shikamaru-Kun are both very intelligent boys. They just don't put effort into school work. You'll see! I shall take your bet. I bet you my paycheck that Naruto-Kun and Shikamaru-Kun pass, even with retakes!"

Mizuki's eyes widened but he smirked, holding out his hand. Iruka smiled delicately back at the white haired teacher and took his hand. In unison, the duo said, "Deal." Mizuki's grin was knowing; the look in his eyes said he already knew he was going to win. Iruka's smile was light and pure; he had complete faith in his students and his body language displayed it. Plus, his next month was depending on those boys' success. It would be an interesting day, that was for sure.


	2. The Genin Tests!

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** The first few chapters are a set up for everything else and might seem to drag on a bit so please, bear with me while we set up the story.

_Updates on Sundays_

[X x X]

For a Monday, the students in the academy seemed pretty riled up. Of course, that was easily attributed to the fact that it was test day and how the day went would determine how they spent the next few years of their lives. For the most part, the classroom was quiet with a soft lull of conversation but there was that undercurrent of excitement and most of the students seemed perked up. Uzumaki Naruto was not one of these people.

He had been awake since four in the morning and had been stressing his body since about that time. Understandably, he was sleepy and didn't want to be there. He much would have rather been at home, snacking on some ramen or sleeping. Both options were ideal. Naruto's elbows rested on the desk and his chin was propped up in his palms. His eyes were half-lidded and his arms kept sliding, jerking him awake to straighten them again and again. The blond sighed and stretched his arms above his head, tired of them continuously sliding. If he was going to be awake, it was on his own terms. He folded his arms behind his head and casually looked around the classroom. Most of his classmates wore grins and he found himself doubting their success. It was usually the cocky ones that failed. Naruto glanced to his left at that thought. Uchiha Sasuke sat beside him, wearing a sneer as if he was better than everyone milling around. Naruto rolled his eyes and stretched out his arms. They fell to his sides, his palms resting on either side of his butt on the bench.

The room was almost peaceful. Almost, because school should never be peaceful. Ever. Hell, Naruto was waiting for someone to run in shouting. As if summoned, there was shouting from outside the classroom, gaining all the students' attention. Naruto arched a brow and stared at the door, masking a laugh as a cough. Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino had just burst into the room and were throwing insults back and forth. Weren't girls supposed to mature faster than boys? Naruto tutted under his breath; he was much more mature than either of them. Naruto turned his attention elsewhere, tired of their antics. Sure, it was funny at times but not when he had been up since four. The blond busied himself with smoothing out his jacket, deciding to take the easy road and just completely act like the girls weren't there. After a few minutes, Sakura and Ino's bickering stopped. Naruto relaxed his shoulders, glad that there was quiet. The odd thing was that the room's prior atmosphere wasn't back. Curiously, Naruto looked up, annoyed to find that both girls were standing outside of the row he was sitting in, glaring at him.

"Ladies," Naruto greeted with a smile, "What's up?" He drew a knee to his chest and made a show of getting comfortable, knowing exactly what they wanted. He was sitting by _the_ Uchiha Sasuke and how dare he! It was their spot, after all. Except it wasn't their spot. Naruto was saved from being yelled at by the sudden appearance of their sensei, Iruka.

It took the brunette a few minutes to get the class in order. Sakura had ended up sitting next to him and Naruto could only sigh. It was easier than protesting, after all. When the class had settled, Iruka spoke. "Alright, let's take role, shall we?" He smiled genially at the class and picked up the roster on his desk. He flipped a page and started calling out names. "Aburame Shino? Ai Naomi? Akimichi Chouji? Asagi Ryuuga? Baya Asahina? Bishou Renji? Chen Riina? Dosu Kentaro? Dachi Takemaru? Haruno Sakura? Hyuuga Hinata? Inuzuka Kiba? Nara Shikamaru? Shinji Kai? Uchiha Sasuke? Uzumaki Naruto? Yamanaka Ino? Yashamoto Nodoka?" Iruka looked up when he called out names and nodded. "We're all here. Wonderful!" Iruka set down the notebook and clasped his hands together. "As you all know, today is Genin test day. Since we have such a small class this year, we're going to be splitting you all up into two groups. One group will be with me for part of the day and the other group will be with Mizuki-Sensei!" A few students groaned at that and Iruka frowned at them. "You do not have a choice." He glanced around the class and laughed to himself before continuing. "The test is going to be alphabetic. So would Shino, Naomi, Chouji, Ryuuga, Asahina, Renji, Riina, Kentaro, and Takemaru please remain seated? You will begin in here with me doing the written test and then we will proceed to do the nin- and genjutsu tests. Everyone else, line up at the door to go with Mizuki-Sensei to take the taijutsu test."

The students who were told to go with Mizuki stood slowly and made their way to the door, lining up single file by alphabet. Naruto kept his head down, staring determinedly at the heels of Sasuke's shoes. He imagined he could hear the villagers whispering now. _"The demon boy is testing? The nerve of some people!" "Let him test; it's not like he's going to pass anyway!" "Monsters shouldn't test!" "Dear Kami, what if he passes? He'll destroy us all!_" Naruto frowned at the ground as these thoughts whirled through his mind. Robotically, the blond followed Sasuke's shoes as the boy in front of him began to walk. He only looked up when the line stopped walking.

Cerulean eyes took in where they were; the front yard of the school. To Naruto's left was the lonely swing he used when he wanted people to leave him be. To his right were the training logs that belonged to the school. Mizuki stood to the right, a wide smile on his face that made Naruto's skin crawl. Mizuki clapped to get the lines' attention and he spoke shortly after.

"Good morning, students!" he said cheerfully. "We're going to start off sparring in pairs. There's no winning or losing today. All I will be judging on is how well you can defend yourself. Each hit you get hit with will dock points from your overall score. Likewise, each hit you land earns you points. Since there're an odd number of you, a volunteer student will spar the last person. If you volunteer, you will get extra credit added on to your score." Naruto cocked his head to the side at those words. A few students whispered to each other but otherwise said nothing. Mizuki smiled. "Each spar will last three minutes. Let's start with… Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Hinata." Naruto rolled his eyes and looked away as the females in question stepped up and took Mizuki's place. The teacher ushered the other student back and pulled a clipboard from behind his back. Had it been tucked in his pants? Naruto shook his head in wonder and folded his arms behind his head, leaning back into his arms.

Mizuki called for the girls to begin and Naruto closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of their spar. From what he was hearing, Hinata was scoring the most points. If that was true, Naruto wouldn't be surprised if Sakura volunteered to spar with Nodoka. Anything for Sasuke, right? That thought itself almost caused Naruto to scoff but he held himself back. Three minutes passed painfully slow and Mizuki couldn't have called time any sooner.

"Inuzuka Kiba and Nara Shikamaru." Naruto jolted upright, ignoring the startled look he earned from Ino on his right. The blond focused on Shikamaru as the brunette made his way to his spot. He casually slid his hands into his pockets and stared apathetically at Kiba. "Begin." Kiba immediately jumped at Shikamaru who quickly dodged the teen only to get an elbow to the side. Shikamaru countered and elbowed Kiba into the neck and that seemed to be it for Shikamaru's energy stores because he spent the rest of the spar dodging and taking hits. At his sides, Naruto's hands were curled into fists. Every hit Shikamaru took caused Naruto's fists to tighten to the point where there were veins bulging out from his hands. Only when Mizuki called time did Naruto relax. "Shinji Kai and Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto winced when Ino squealed in his ear. Damn, Naruto would hate to be on a team with her. Her voice would probably end up shattering his ear drums and that would simply piss him off. Naruto shifted for a moment and stepped away from Ino and into Sasuke's vacated spot. He definitely did not want to be next to her for this fight.

Naruto's move proved to be smart because Ino started cheering for Sasuke. Instead of telling her how much she was probably distracting Sasuke, Naruto simply plugged his ears and watched the fight. Kai stood no chance against Sasuke and Naruto almost felt pity for Kai. The spar ended quickly and Naruto reluctantly slid back beside Ino, removing his fingers from his ears. He sighed quietly when his name was called and marched swiftly to his starting spot, Ino joining him moments later. Naruto easily slid into his taijutsu stance. His left leg was in front of him, his right leg behind. Most of his weight was on his front leg. Both of his elbows were tucked in to protect his rib cage but his hands were poised to hit. Across from him, Ino had her legs spread and bent at the knee while her right elbow was tucked in to protect her ribs and her left arm was in front of her, fingers curled slightly.

When Mizuki called begin, Naruto didn't hesitate and neither did Ino. They sprung at each other and Naruto jabbed at Ino's stomach, barely dodging a punch. Her hand grazed his face and Naruto just knew Mizuki was going to take off points for that. Naruto crouched down to avoid Ino's punch and flung himself sideways when he saw her foot approach. The blond girl ran after him and ran straight into his foot. He pushed her back and leapt to his feet, falling back into his stance. He elbowed her and took the obvious punch that he left open. When her fist hit his chest, Naruto grasped it with his hands and twisted her wrist until she whimpered and he released her. She took a second to recover and swung a roundhouse kick at him that caught him in the cheek. He rolled across the ground for a few seconds and stood up, spitting into the dirt. At once, they ran at each other and Naruto caught her in the face before she could get him and she flew back a few feet. She landed and was pushing herself up when Mizuki called time.

A sneer danced across Naruto's face when Mizuki gave him a snide look. Simply because it was Mizuki, Naruto was almost certain that he wouldn't be passing. For the longest time, Mizuki had a grudge against him which Naruto really thought was childish. The blond brushed his hair from his eyes and stared at Mizuki until he and Ino were dismissed to their spots in line. Mizuki took an extra minute to write a few things down on his clipboard before he gave the children his attention.

"That leaves Yashamoto Nodoka. Do we have a volunteer?" Naruto jumped at Sakura's loud voice shouting that she would volunteer. To his right, Ino scoffed and muttered something about overachieving foreheads and Naruto chuckled slightly. Nodoka and Sakura took their positions and Mizuki called begin. Naruto was surprised when neither girl attacked and merely circled each other. Without warning, Sakura lunged and it turned into a very fast taijutsu battle. It seemed only seconds later that Mizuki called time. He jotted something down on his clipboard and spoke to the group. "Alright, next we're going to be doing target tests and trap setting. Since we have a small group, we should be able to split up into groups. Let's see…" He looked down at his clipboard for a moment, speaking after a few moments of silence. "Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Kai. You five will start with traps. Sasuke, Naruto, Ino, Nodoka. You will start with target tests." There was a murmur of assent through the nine of them and they followed Mizuki to the target practice area. Their sensei cloned himself and the clone took the first group a little ways away from the target testing group to set up their traps.

Mizuki watched the clone take his students away a bit and turned to his group once the other was a safe distance away. With a pleasant smile, the white haired teacher began. "We have three targets here. Your goal is to hit them all as close to the bulls-eye as possible. You will begin with ten points. You get a kunai, shuriken, and senbon for each target and you have three shots to get as many points as you can. The two rings around the center and the bulls-eye earn you points; if you get your weapon into any other ring, you will lose one point per each weapon." Mizuki paused and took a moment to pass out weapons to each of the twelve year olds before speaking again. "Let's go in reverse order this time. Nodoka, please step up to the line."

The tiny girl with golden hair stepped up to the line and shifted into her stance. Naruto watched with raised brows at the accuracy Nodoka displayed with her weapons. Her kunai and shuriken landed in the second to center ring and the senbon landed in the bulls-eye. The four watching applauded her lightly and Mizuki moved her to the next target after retrieving her weapons. The first bulls-eye's achievements were repeated for Nodoka on the next two targets and Mizuki congratulated her on her great aim before sending the young girl to sit off to the side of the targets under a tree. Ino went next. The kunai hit the third ring from the middle and she cringed; the shuriken and senbon made up for it by hitting the two rings around the center. On the next one, she got all three in the middle two rings and on the last one, her kunai hit the bulls-eye. She squealed excitedly and went to sit with Nodoka. Naruto was up next.

He pushed past Sasuke and they exchanged glares before Naruto took his stance. The senbon and kunai hit the outer two rings while the shuriken hit the bulls-eye. On the second target, he managed to completely miss the center and the outer two rings. On the third one, only his shuriken didn't hit the bulls-eye –it hit the second ring from the center. The only one of their group who clapped was Nodoka and she quietly told him how good of a job she thought he did. The blond gave the small girl a huge grin and walked over to sit by her. He leaned against the tree, glancing at Nodoka out of the corner of his eye. She drew her knees to her chest and had her eyes closed. Naruto chuckled under his breath and returned his gaze to Sasuke who was surprisingly on the third target already. All three of his weapons hit bulls-eye, to no one's surprise. Naruto and Nodoka applauded him and Ino squealed, hugging Sasuke and telling him how awesome he was.

"She's a bit loud, isn't she?" Naruto remarked to the blond beside him. Nodoka laughed softly.

"Just a little." She looked over at Naruto. "But she's in love, so she has trouble controlling herself around him. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe someday she'll grow and be a mature young woman who won't let some silly crush control her."

Naruto laughed slightly. "When you put it like that, Nodoka-Chan, you make me feel bad." She returned the laugh and Naruto stood, helping Nodoka up as well. They turned to face Sasuke, Ino, and Mizuki. Ino was still wrapped around Sasuke but she had stopped yelling and squealing when Naruto and Nodoka stood up. Mizuki surveyed the four of them and wrote something down on his clipboard.

"Alright," Mizuki said, looking up at them. "Go wait by my clone and he'll let you know what you're doing." The four murmured their agreement and walked off to the clone. The trapping was easy, at least in Naruto's opinion. All they had to do was trap someone in their group in three different traps. Naruto was paired with Nodoka and she was fun but difficult. Being small, she travelled quickly and was able to squeeze through spaces of all sizes. She trapped him twice before he got her once. Their last trap ended on them trapping each other at the same time. Mizuki said nothing aside from dictating when to begin and when to stop.

"That was entertaining," Naruto commented, wiping some sweat off his brow. Beside him, Nodoka was laughing and shaking her head.

"If you say so, Uzumaki-Kun," she replied. They laughed again and Naruto moved to sit under some shade while Nodoka stayed standing to watch Sasuke and Ino's trapping. To no one's surprise, Sasuke easily trapped Ino but she struggled with trapping him. It took a lot of Naruto's self-control to keep from laughing at his fellow blond. When Ino was finished, Mizuki told them to go inside and line up on the wall next to their classroom.

Naruto was again behind Sasuke and in front of Ino, his eyes set firmly on Sasuke's heels. Lines weren't his favourite thing. In Naruto's mind, they were a set up for taking out the people in line one by one. The blond shivered and squeezed his eyes closed for a second. When he opened his eyes, the line was moving. He quickly moved forward and watched the Uchiha's shoes, stopping when they stopped. He tipped his head up and looked around, watching the students leave to go work on the taijutsu test. Once the other students had left, Iruka grinned at them and clapped his hands together.

"I hope you've all done well on your tests so far!" he said happily. "Alright. Everyone, take your seats. Anywhere is fine, just make sure there's at least one chair between you and the next person." Naruto laughed. The room was designed to seat at least thirty and there were only nine students. Naruto moved to the far right corner in the front; no use fighting someone for the back corner. The blond settled in and glanced around. On the opposite end of the table he sat at was Nodoka who smiled at him. Sasuke was in the back right corner, Ino at the end of the table from him. Sakura was in the middle of their table. On the other side of the room, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Kai were spread out in the middle of the row on the left and at the front in the middle sat Hinata. "Okay," Iruka said cheerfully. "I'm going to pass out the written exam. You will have forty-five minutes to complete it." Iruka went through and passed out the test and pencils and went back to his desk, sitting down.

Naruto flew through the test and, with ten minutes to spare, went through and double checked his work. Nodoka had her head down and Hinata was still writing. Finished checking over his work, Naruto slid his paper and pencil away from him a bit and looked around the classroom. Only Sasuke and Shikamaru seemed to be finished with their tests.

Five minutes crawled by and soon Iruka called time. He quickly went through and collected all the tests. Once they were on his desk, he explained their final test; they were going to be called into the next room and told what they would be doing. Naruto gave a breathy laugh and rolled his eyes as Sakura was called. Once the pink haired girl was gone, Naruto spoke.

"So," he said casually.

"So," Nodoka replied and the duo laughed. "How do you think you did?" She asked softly.

"Eh, okay. I didn't know number seven so I just guessed."

There was a pause before Ino shouted, "That's _it_? Number _seven_? There were twenty-five questions! What the hell!"

Naruto snorted. "Well, we can't all be idiots," he answered.

There was a lull in the room as what he said sunk in for Ino. Quietly, Sasuke chimed in, "Seven was easy, dobe." Naruto's eye twitched and he sneered.

"Really? What did you do, draw a pony?"

"Shut your mouth about him, idiot!" Ino shouted. Naruto winced at her loud tone of voice and looked over at Nodoka who was just shaking her head, her face disgusted. Naruto rolled his eyes and laid back across the bench, closing his eyes. He listened to the sparse conversation that happened when Sakura came back and sent Hinata in. This continued until Sasuke's dark voice told him that it was his turn. Naruto yawned and stretched, his shirt riding up a bit. He slithered out of his seat and calmly made his way through the side door to the room off the classroom. He adjusted his shirt and walked so he was a few feet from the desk.

To Naruto's surprise, Mizuki was sitting with Iruka. The blond furrowed his brows at the sight of the white haired teacher. Wasn't he conducting the taijutsu tests? That was complicated.

"The other group finished early," Iruka explained cheerfully. "Mizuki arrived in time for Kai's test." Naruto nodded and watched the two teachers carefully. "We need a simple clone jutsu and then a substitution jutsu. Begin when you're ready." Naruto sighed and unzipped is hoodie, shrugging it off. While he could work with the jacket on, it was easier for him to work without it. He generally wore it in order to feel protected. His hoodie pooled around his feet and he stretched out his arms before stretching his arms out in front of him. He formed the hand symbol for tiger.

"Clone Jutsu!" Naruto murmured, cloning himself. The clone was rather pale for a clone of Naruto who had naturally tan skin and it was a bit thinner than Naruto. Other than those two things, the clone was very good. Naruto sighed and looked at his pallid counterpart and ran his fingers through his hair. The pale clone threw a kunai at Naruto who took the hit to the neck. The second the kunai collided, Naruto disappeared and the kunai was stuck in a leaf. The blond reappeared, sitting in the window sill, holding a leaf delicately between his thumb and forefinger. He glanced over at Iruka and Mizuki, a soft smile on his place.

"Good job, Naruto-Kun!" Iruka congratulated. Mizuki grumbled his congratulations and looked down at his clipboard. He and Iruka leaned together and began whispering, prompting Naruto to look back out the window. He only gave the teachers his attention when Iruka spoke his name. When he looked, Iruka was holding out a headband on black cloth. The blond's face split into a smile and he slid from the window, moving over to accept the headband.

"Thank you Iruka-Sensei, Mizuki-Sensei." Naruto bowed slightly and left the room after Iruka asked him to send in Ino. He walked out into the main classroom and looked around, surprised to see everyone but Ino and Nodoka wearing headbands. With an amused smile, he called over the din of the room for Ino to go into the side room. Naruto and Ino bumped shoulders and the male lifted his headband in a show to Nodoka who grinned widely at him and gave him a thumbs up. It didn't take Ino that long to test and she came out with a headband, sending Nodoka in. Nodoka came out shortly after with a headband, Mizuki and Iruka following her. Iruka politely informed them that they could all go home and should get a good night's rest because the next day they would be assigned their teams.

Naruto stood and flexed his arms, only then realizing he left his coat in the other room. The blond quickly went into the room and grabbed his hoodie, ducking out quickly after. He waved goodbye to Iruka and Mizuki and quickly left the school, his eyes focused intently on the road. He knew exactly where he was going; the owner of Ichiraku Ramen had promised him a free bowl if he went by after the Genin exam with a headband. A small smile settled on Naruto's face as he shrugged his coat on, clutching his headband. He'd figure out where he wanted to wear it later. Right now, he was just excited that he had actually passed the exam.


	3. Team Kakashi!

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** There's a sentence in this chapter that doesn't make sense. The chapter is currently being edited and will be updated when the error has been corrected. A few questions you might have after this chapter will be answered on Wednesday with a bonus chapter; look out for that! Happy Mothers' Day!

_Updates on Sundays_

[X x X]

The black jacket provided good cover as Naruto slunk into the classroom, hood up and head down. Naruto's hands were shoved deep in his pockets and his headband was tied securely around his neck. His chin was tucked behind it, his mouth barely peeking over the top of the metal plate. Naruto's gaze flickered around the class, scouting for a spot to sit. There was one by Sasuke, one by Ino, and one by Nodoka. By process of elimination, Naruto quickly slid in next to Sasuke. He enjoyed upsetting his female classmates, all the ones that simply adored the Uchiha. They exchanged brisk nods and Naruto looked away, surprised when Sasuke spoke.

"Is there a reason you put orange stripes on your headband?" he asked tartly. Naruto let out a light chuckle and drew one of his knees to his chest.

"I like orange," he commented lightly. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his knee, his headband falling slightly over the edge of his knee. The blond's eyes slid lightly closed and he gazed through slightly blurry vision at the edge of the desk in front of him. He and Sasuke sat in gentle quiet for a few minutes, comfortable and uninterrupted. Naruto's lips curled upward in a light smile that quickly fell at the shrill voice of one Haruno Sakura.

"You're in my seat, Uzumaki. Again." Naruto slowly lifted his head up and he narrowed his eyes at the young girl. "Hello?" She snapped. "Is anyone home? I want you to move."

With a brow arched, Naruto asked, "Is it your seat? I'm sorry, I didn't know." He smiled at her. "Next time put your name on it." With that, Naruto settled into his seat and stretched his legs out. Naruto didn't flinch when Sakura grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face her. Naruto looked up at Sakura's livid face and gently removed her fingers from his shoulder. He pushed her back and faced forward again. "Don't touch me. Now sit down, woman." Naruto shook his head in disproval and hunched over the desk, putting his forehead against the desk top. He was pleased that Sakura didn't bother him again and wasn't surprised when he heard the bench beside him creak with her weight. If she couldn't be right beside Sasuke, she would take the closest right?

A light scoff escaped Naruto's lips and he moved his arms up to pillow his head. For the ten minutes before class began, Naruto just laid there with his head down and eyes closed. If he hadn't wanted to get out of the accursed academy, Naruto would have slept late. As it were, he was almost regretting his decision of coming to school. The chatter around him was slowly coming to an end and Naruto could only assume that Iruka had decided to show up.

Heaving a sigh, Naruto sat up and looked around, an amused smile playing about his mouth when Shikamaru trudged in followed by Iruka. Both looked irate, probably because Shikamaru had been stubborn. The brunette glanced up and quickly found a seat. Once he was seated, Iruka cleared his throat. Naruto tipped his head to the side, staring at the teacher. This needed to end. The blond was getting tired and edgy and needed a nap. Something told him, though, that neither of those things was going to happen. It wasn't going to end and he wasn't going to get a nap.

The room fell silent and Iruka took that time to speak. After clearing his throat, he began. "Good morning students," he said cheerfully. The students greeted him back in tones ranging from exhaustion to excitement. Iruka laughed. "Well at least some of you are getting into the spirit of things." He smiled and rested his hands lightly on his desk. "As you all can tell, the entire class has graduated. Last night, Mizuki-Sensei, Hokage-Sama, and I put you all on teams based on skill and test scores." Naruto didn't miss the way a couple girls cursed and he looked around, catching Nodoka's eye as she shook her head. "Now, if there are no questions," Iruka said lightly. Naruto looked back to his teacher, his eyes impatient. "After I call all your names and assign teams, please join your team for lunch and your team Sensei will collect you during lunch. As you might remember, we sort teams by years, so this year will be teams six through eleven." Iruka looked over the whole class and picked a paper up from his desk. He skimmed it, looked at the class again, and began reading. "Team Six: Yashamoto Nodoka, Dosu Kentaro, and Shinji Kai. Your sensei will be Abarai Kino." He glanced up for a moment before continuing. "Team Seven: Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and," he paused, and Naruto sighed, shaking his head. The entire classroom seemed to be holding its breath, awaiting the fate of Team Seven's female. Naruto looked around the room, wondering who poor Shikamaru and Sasuke would be stuck with. "Uzumaki Naruto."

The room was silent. Naruto blinked and looked to his left, meeting slightly surprised onyx coloured eyes. Naruto was sure his own eyes reflected the emotions he saw in Sasuke's. Wait. Naruto sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose. That meant he was the token female of Team Seven. Well that blew.

"What?" Screeched the pink haired harpy to Naruto's right. The blond looked over at her, raising his brows. "Why are there three boys on that team?" Man, her voice was shriller than Ino's. "That's not fair! _I _was supposed to be on Sasuke's team!"

"Shut up, Forehead!" Ino shrieked. "You're not good enough to be on his team! You had to volunteer for extra credit to pass!"

Before Sakura could reply, Iruka interrupted. "Ladies, please. Team Seven, your sensei will be Hatake Kakashi." Was it Naruto's imagination or did a smile just flicker across Iruka's face? The blond arched a brow but said nothing. "Team Eight, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. Your sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai. Team Nine, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, and Haruno Sakura. Your sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma. Team Ten…" It was there that Naruto really stopped listening. He was on a team, Nodoka was on a team, and it would be interesting to see how Ino and Sakura worked together. What more did he need to hear? Naruto shook his head and drew his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them as he listened vaguely to Iruka's voice telling them they should get with their teams.

To Naruto's right, Sakura was complaining loudly and didn't sound like she was moving any time soon. If she didn't move soon, Naruto would have to politely ask her to get away from him. He smiled against the back of his headband at that thought and stared at the desk top, Sakura's pink hair still in his peripheral vision. He rolled his eyes as she ranted about the unfairness of there not being a female on Sasuke's team. _Oh no_, Naruto thought sarcastically, _how will he ever survive_? Was this girl an idiot? He was inclined to think yes but she was the smartest girl in their class, barely besting the Hyuuga heiress.

If she didn't leave right that second, Naruto was going to have something to say to her. He didn't get the chance though. Mid-rant, Sakura was interrupted.

"Move." Shikamaru's voice was monotonous but it got the point across. Naruto's back straightened and he looked over at Shikamaru and Sakura, interest in his eyes. Sakura's jaw snapped shut audibly and, without a word, she stomped off. Naruto shook his head and watched Shikamaru slid in next to him. The brunette looked at the two already at the table and sighed. "Troublesome team," he grumbled.

"Eh?" Naruto asked. "What do you mean?" While light, Naruto's voice was still quiet although it seemed Shikamaru had no trouble hearing his question at all. Naruto leaned back and stretched his legs out under the table and Sasuke leaned forward, his head tipped slightly so he could face Shikamaru and Naruto.

Shikamaru sighed. "You're troublesome because I had to be the one getting up and moving."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Both of us were already here," he said firmly. "Why would we move when you would be able to come to us easily?"

The brunette sighed once again. "That is exactly my point," he murmured. A small smile slipped onto Naruto's face and he shook his head at Shikamaru and Sasuke.

"Well," the blond stated in his quiet tone. "Someone had to move. Anyway. Do you have your lunches?"

Sasuke's voice was condescending when he answered. "Of course. Why would you even have to ask?" Naruto glared darkly at him and looked at Shikamaru who merely nodded. "Do _you_ have your lunch?" Sasuke asked snidely.

The blond cocked his head to the side. "No," he answered finally. "I don't like eating lunch." He stretched his arms above his head and watched as students began filing out of the class at the sound of the lunch bell. He looked to his right. "You're Shikamaru," he stated. He looked over to the Uchiha who had carefully schooled his features blankly. "You're Sasuke."

"And you're Naruto," Sasuke stated.

"You would be correct," the blond stated idly. He glanced around the class, noting how Nodoka was lingering in the doorway. They made eye contact and Naruto shook his head at her and she left.

There was a quiet pause before Sasuke spoke. "Naruto…" The blond tipped his head to the side. "You know Nodoka?"

The blond nodded shortly. "Aa, I know Nodoka-Chan. What of it?" Sasuke shook his head and Shikamaru took the silence as his cue to stand. Naruto followed Shikamaru with his eyes as the brunette went to the side room of the class and came out carrying a bento box. The brunette seemed to take his time, not that Naruto was surprised. Since Naruto enrolled in the academy, Shikamaru had always been sluggish and simply lazy. Sasuke, on the other hand, was cold and standoffish. Brooding, almost. He had good reason, Naruto did admit. He just couldn't condone his behaviour. However, Naruto knew he wasn't any better. Growing up the way he did, Naruto had a hard time liking society. The blond shook those thoughts from his head and drew his knees back up to his chest, resting his chin atop his knees once more. His headband rested on the edge of his knees, hiding his mouth which was contorted into a frown as Sasuke got up to get his lunch as well. Shikamaru rejoined him at the table and Sasuke returned shortly thereafter.

Both of the dark haired boys began digging into their bento while Naruto sat with his eyes closed, listening to them eat. He really didn't like lunch. He loved to eat but Naruto couldn't stomach lunch, ever. When he was younger, Naruto once gorged himself mindlessly on ramen and sushi one holiday lunch. Consequently, he had been rather ill that evening. Ever since, Naruto wasn't able to eat lunch. It was his own stupidity, of course, and it bothered him to this day. That was neither here nor there, though. Naruto pursed his lips and exhaled sharply, trying to clear his mind. He didn't want to think about anything. He just wanted a nap.

The blond drew his arms inside his jacket and he hugged his chest, the tank top he wore doing little to retain heat. He yawned quietly and snuggled into his jacket, his mind easily falling blank for once.

What seemed like seconds later, Naruto was being shaken awake. It took him a few moments to clear his mind and to become coherent but when he did, Naruto could only sigh. Sasuke was none too gentle when waking a person up, that was for sure. Missions with the Uchiha were sure to be unbearable, taking that into consideration. A light chuckle escaped Naruto's lips and he slipped his arms through his jacket sleeves and stretched his legs over the desk top, resting them there when he was done stretching out. He yawned for a moment. When his yawn ended, Naruto took a second to look around the classroom. Nearly everyone was back; only Sakura, Ino, and Chouji seemed to be missing from the class.

"What time is it?" Naruto asked idly.

"Ten till noon," Shikamaru answered in his monotone voice. Naruto nodded slowly and tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. He managed to keep his focus entirely on the tiles until the room fell quiet. Confused, Naruto looked up, raising his brows at the sight of five people in Jounin outfits. Where was the sixth Jounin? Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion as the people introduced themselves at Genin Sensei and took their teams. In a matter of seconds, Team Seven was alone and lacking a sensei.

"What." Naruto flung himself forward quickly so he was sitting on the desk and he quickly jumped off of that so he was standing on the desk on the level below his desk. He put his hands on his hips and stared firmly at the door to the room as if his stare would summon their sensei. Nothing happened for ten minutes, causing the blond to groan in outrage. He spun around and looked at both Sasuke and Shikamaru, neither who seemed fazed by the absence of their sensei.

Shikamaru was the first to notice Naruto's look. "What?" he asked. "Don't look at me like that."

"Don't 'what' me!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice louder than usual but not yet a yell. "Am I the only one who cares that our sensei isn't here yet?" His voice had returned to its normal level of sound but was still very forceful in tone.

"No," Sasuke answered firmly. "He's wasting our time. Or she is. Whining will get us nowhere though, idiot." Naruto glared at him but accepted the truth in the Uchiha's words. There wasn't much they could do, after all. Time seemed to crawl by and there was no sign of their teacher. It was almost two before he even showed up. Naruto had been dozing off, Shikamaru was already asleep, and Sasuke was staring out the window when the door to the classroom slid open, causing Naruto to jump. He nudged Shikamaru awake and stared at the man in the doorway who was staring at them with one eye.

They waited for _him_? Naruto tipped his head to the side and stared back at the silver haired man with only his right eye visible on his face. Wow, they waited for him. Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head, pinching himself when, after reopening his eyes, the man was still there. He stayed. The room was silent and Naruto had to wonder what was going through his teammates' minds. Probably saner thoughts than his. That thought caused Naruto to chuckle, successfully breaking the room's quiet.

"My first impression of you," the silver haired man said, "Is that you're all stuck up brats."

"What." Naruto's voice was flat in reply to his Sensei's snarky comment. The man's eye curled upward and he looked to be smiling as he spoke.

"Well, why don't we go up to the roof?"

"Why?" Naruto grumbled as he followed Shikamaru out of their seats and to the door. "So you can throw us off of it?"

The man gave a quick and clearly fake laugh. "Now there's an idea."

Their little banter was cut short by the approach of the stairs. The man took one look at them and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto grumbled under his breath while Shikamaru muttered about people being troublesome. Sasuke just scoffed and pushed passed his complaining teammates, taking the stairs two at a time. Naruto followed quickly with Shikamaru trailing behind them.

The walk up three flights of stairs went by rather quickly. The sun was bright when Sasuke pushed open the door to the room and Naruto had to shield his eyes to let them adjust. Their sensei was on the roof, leaning against the railing with his nose in a bright orange book. Shikamaru sighed loudly and Naruto quickly followed Sasuke who had walked over and stood in front of their sensei. Naruto stood to Sasuke's left and Shikamaru filled in at the blond's left. Sasuke cleared his throat and their sensei looked up.

"Oh great, you're here," he said cheerfully. "Sit down! Today we're just going to get to know one another." He was met with absolute silence from three annoyed looking twelve year olds. The trio sighed in unison and Naruto sat down first shortly followed by his darker haired teammates. "Well? Tell us your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies and goals."

All three boys stared at him for a long, quiet moment. "Maybe you should start," Naruto stated.

Their sensei laughed that same fake laugh from a few minutes earlier but proceeded to speak. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like a lot of things and dislike a lot of things. I have a few hobbies… My goals? Hm, well you could say I have them."

Naruto stared at him and didn't doubt that Shikamaru and Sasuke were too. What the hell? Okay, great, his name was Kakashi which, Naruto reminded himself, Iruka told them earlier. That's what he got for tuning Iruka out after his name was called. Kakashi's eye arched and he looked to be smiling at them. Without speaking, he nodded his head at Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like reading and walking and my favourite food is onigiri with okaka and tomatoes. I dislike sweet things as well as nattō and I dislike loud situations. My hobby is training and my goal…" Sasuke took a slight breath and glanced at Naruto and Shikamaru out of the corners of his eyes. "Is to kill that man and repopulate my clan." Naruto blinked and looked at Sasuke before quickly dropping his head, his mouth slipping easily behind his headband.

Kakashi must have motioned to Shikamaru because said brunette began speaking. "Nara Shikamaru. I like napping and, on the rare occasion, playing shōgi against professionals or at least very difficult opponents. I dislike fighting; honestly I can't stand mindless bloodshed. My favourite foods are mackerel and kelp and I cannot stomach boiled eggs." The brunette yawned. "My hobbies are cloud watching and shōgi and my goal… You know, I haven't really thought about it. Troublesome."

Naruto grinned sideways at Shikamaru who merely rolled his eyes at his teammate. Naruto rolled his eyes back and looked at Kakashi who was looking at him impatiently. "Oh. I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" he stated, his smile slipping into a more subdued version of itself. "I enjoy being alone and spending time with my friends, especially Nodoka-Chan and Shikamaru," Naruto playfully nudged the brunette next to him who sighed loudly but smiled nonetheless. "I don't like being yelled at or being degraded. I really can't stand when villagers are rude to me. It makes no sense…" He trailed off for a second before shaking his head. "Anyway, I absolutely _love_ ramen, tamagoyaki and red bean soup but really, I can't stand fresh vegetables." He laughed a bit. "My hobbies are reading, training, cleaning, and eating. My goal?" His eyes dropped to the ground and his smile slid away completely. "I… Am going to protect my loved one with my life." Naruto looked up and smiled brightly although came off a bit forced.

_Yes_, he thought, _no one will harm him. No one will touch my ANBU_. Naruto sighed slightly and tipped his head to the side, looking curiously at Kakashi who was surveying the trio of boys.

"Well," the sensei said, "it's odd to have an all-male team, I must say."

Naruto laughed quietly. "That's what Haruno was saying earlier, when I was first put on the team."

Kakashi raised his visible brow. "You're our token female then?" he asked, his tone light and teasing. Naruto pouted.

"I can see it," Shikamaru chimed in, nudging Naruto's knee with his own. The blond childishly stuck his tongue out at Shikamaru and then at Kakashi and looked over to his final teammate who was merely staring at him.

"Hm?" Naruto questioned quietly. Sasuke stared for a second and shook his head.

"Hn." All Sasuke got was an eyebrow raised. "I didn't know you hung out with Nara outside of school."

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah. I hung out with Shikamaru, Nodoka-Chan, Kiba, Chouji, Asahina-Chan, and Kai. Mainly Shikamaru and Nodoka-Chan, though." Naruto gave Sasuke a playful glare. "I would have been with you as well but I could never find you." Underneath the playfulness, Naruto understood. Not completely, of course, but on a level he understood. Sasuke's clan was gone. It was completely devoid of people, except him and the murderer. _Uchiha Itachi_. A shiver ran down Naruto's spine and he drew his jacket closer to himself, looking away from Sasuke as the boy 'hn'ed at him.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Now that that's out of the way, aren't you glad we bonded?" Naruto stared at him blankly. Bonding? Is that what they just did? Well, Naruto definitely wouldn't have called it that. Maybe introductions but not bonding. There was no way what just happened was bonding, not with Kakashi's vague answers and his team's decidedly longer answers; if that was bonding, then dancing could be considered training. Naruto rolled his eyes and arched a brow at Kakashi who looked a bit nervous. Naruto glanced at Shikamaru who was staring hard at Kakashi and he looked at Sasuke who had both brows raised and his mouth in a sneer. Naruto would be nervous too. "Anyway," Kakashi said hastily. "I'm glad I got to know you. That's going to be all for today. Tomorrow, we're going to have a team test."

"A test?" Shikamaru asked. "How troublesome."

"A test," Kakashi repeated, his voice chipper once more. "I won't say exactly what kind of test but it will determine whether you will become a Genin team or not." He paused and looked at his students, all of whom stared back at him with varying forms of disinterest on their faces. "Training field eight is reserved for us tomorrow, so be there at six am sharp." Kakashi stood and stepped carefully onto the railing of the roof and looked over his shoulder at his team. "And don't eat breakfast." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Without their sensei, the boys of Team Seven were rather quiet. He seemed to be the most talkative, but very late. Naruto sighed at that thought and stood, stretching his body out. He had a problem with being still; whenever he was still for longer than ten minutes, his muscles started to cramp up so when he moved, he first stretched. With his body stretched, Naruto turned and looked at Sasuke and Shikamaru.

"I'm gonna head off then," he informed them in his quiet voice. "Either of you want to join me? I was going to head out to Maki's." At the name of the small café, Sasuke seemed to perk up.

"Maki's?" he asked. At Naruto's nod, Sasuke said, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I enjoy their onigiri." Naruto smiled knowingly and looked to Shikamaru who grumbled and shook his head as Sasuke stood up.

"Can't. Mom asked me to help her after this," he motioned with his head to the roof. "One of our deer is giving birth." Naruto tipped his head to the side and smiled softly.

"Understandable. That sounds fun; name the baby after us!" Naruto jabbed at Sasuke with his elbow. "Just kidding. But really, have fun Shikamaru." Naruto nodded and waited until Sasuke and Shikamaru at least exchanged nods to lead Sasuke off to Maki's for onigiri and ramen.


	4. Side Chapter: And So Team 7 Was Made

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light and Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Side chapter! This is the chapter about team dynamics. If you have any questions, please submit them via review or private message.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Mizuki and Iruka smiled almost superficially as their class of Genin filed out of the classroom. Iruka was relieved; all of his Genin passed their tests so he wasn't going to lose his paycheck to Mizuki. Mizuki was losing his paycheck. Just like that, Iruka's smile turned genuine and he waved as Naruto brushed passed him, tugging on his jacket with his headband clutched into his hand. When all the students were gone, Iruka allowed the smile to slide off his face and he slid into the chair behind his desk. He leaned back and slid down into a pose undignified for a teacher; it was almost as though he was sitting on his back. Iruka closed his eyes for a moment, listening to his partner and longtime friend.

"Great, the demon child passed the test," Mizuki grumbled.

Iruka opened one eye and stared at Mizuki without a trace of anger. "Mizuki-Kun," he scolded lightly.

"What? Oh come on, Iruka!" Mizuki exclaimed, spinning around to face the brunette who sighed and slowly sat up to stare levelly at his partner. "What do you see in him?" Mizuki demanded.

With a brow arched, the brunette said, "I see a talented young man who will do great things. Whether or not those things are good depends entirely on how we as a village and as a people treat him. You know that, don't you?"

Mizuki hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Iruka rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot, Mizuki-Kun." He held up his hand when Mizuki started to say something. "No. Let me talk. Naruto-Kun is talented. You don't notice, do you? His scores are tied with Sasuke's. The only reason Shikamaru-Kun isn't up there with them is because he is lazy and has no motivation. Mizuki-Kun, don't you see?"

Mizuki's eyes narrowed. "So you're saying because I treat him wrong and the better half," Iruka scoffed, "of the villagers treat him wrong, his potential could turn into Konoha's potential demise?"

At those words, Iruka nodded, his expression grim. "If we don't shape up, he will snap. But…" Iruka trailed off. "Naruto-Kun isn't like that. He has precious people, even though he won't admit it. And he loves people."

"_Him_?" Mizuki exclaimed. "Now you're just being wishful, Iruka. Stop it. Get your head out of the clouds and let's go get some lunch."

Iruka glared at Mizuki and slowly stood. He gathered the things from his desk and locked them into one of the drawers. Iruka did a double check of things in his desk versus what he was going to take with him and walked over to Mizuki who was waiting by the door. The white haired man gestured him out of the room and Iruka left, turning to watch Mizuki lock up. Once Mizuki was at his side, Iruka set off.

"Where do you want to go, Mizuki-Kun?" Iruka asked lightly.

"Well you're paying since you have my pay check," Mizuki joked. "So I don't really care."

Iruka chuckled lightly and lead Mizuki off of school grounds. They turned right and walked three blocks before turning left onto one of Konoha's busier streets that was mainly restaurants. Iruka peered around as signs with a content look on his face. Mizuki's presence was constant, their shoulders occasionally bumping. After a few minutes of walking through the din of the street, Iruka decided on a place. The sign boisterously read 'Maki's International Pleasures' with pictures of hot cakes, hamburgers, escargot, ramen, and a variety of other foods from various places decorating it.

"Maki's?" Mizuki asked as he followed Iruka inside.

"Yes," Iruka said, smiling at the greeter who led them to a booth. "Do you not like Maki's?" was the brunette's next question as he slid into the booth. Mizuki slid in across from him and they both took menus.

"I like it well enough. I didn't know you did," Mizuki answered, skimming the menu for a drink. Iruka looked down and raised his brows at the assortment of drinks. There were carbonated sodas, juices, teas, alcohols, and some other things Iruka didn't recognize. He stared blankly down at the menu.

"I've never been here," he finally stated, looking at his colleague.

"Never?" Iruka shook his head and stared at the menu again, settling on a vanilla cremosa to try. If he didn't like that, he would order some herbal tea. Iruka sighed and looked up, confused by Mizuki's incredulous look. "So you just picked a restaurant?"

"Um. Yes," Iruka replied. "They had hot cakes on the sign! I like hot cakes, thank you!" He scowled at Mizuki who stared at him for a few seconds longer before bursting into a fit of laughter. Iruka huffed and turned away, looking a bit put out. He ignored the looks a few other customers were giving them and scowled at the ground until someone walked up to them.

"Hello and welcome to Maki's. I'm Mitsuru and I'll be your waiter for today." Iruka looked up and smiled widely at their waiter who smiled back politely. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

Still chuckling, Mizuki said, "I'm going to have a frappé. Iruka?" Both the waiter and Mizuki looked at the brunette who glanced at the menu once more before ordering.

"I'll try a vanilla cremosa."

The waiter grinned. "Lovely choices. I'll be back in a minute." He spun on his heel and left, walking through the people scattered around the restaurant chatting. Iruka watched him disappear behind a swinging door and sighed, looking back to Mizuki who still wore a grin.

"Shut up," Iruka complained, picking up the menu to hide his face. Lunch passed quickly for the duo and sooner than Iruka liked they were back at the academy, gathering up papers for their meeting with the Hokage at five. Iruka planned to walk to the Hokage tower from the school, which would only take half an hour. He was punctual, after all. The tests had ended at a quarter after one and their lunch had been a long lunch, seeing as Iruka actually had money to spend and he wanted to try a few of the things on the menu that looked rather good. It was four before Mizuki had convinced Iruka to leave and Iruka left with a promise of returning. Mitsuru had laughed and promised to wait on him on his next visit.

"Okay," Iruka said as he shuffled through the papers in his arms. "We have student profiles, test scores since they enrolled, and their final test scores. Do we need anything else?"

"If we do, I'll run back and get it," Mizuki promised. Iruka looked at him and they stared at each other for a moment. Iruka looked away first, kicking his desk drawer shut. He locked it and spun around, facing Mizuki. "Ready?" the white haired man asked. Iruka nodded and they set off. It took them a little over thirty minutes to get to the Hokage's tower because Iruka kept dropping papers. They arrived with ten minutes to spare and sat outside their leader's office organizing their papers and sorting things while they waited. They managed to get organized by the time the Hokage called them into his office. Mizuki led the way with Iruka doing last second check overs.

"Iruka, Mizuki," the Hokage greeted in a light, warm tone. Iruka looked up and smiled.

"Hokage-Sama," he greeted, bowing his head. Mizuki bowed at the waist and politely repeated the greeting Iruka had given.

"How have you both been?" the old man asked, a smile on his face.

"I've been well," Mizuki answered.

Iruka shot Mizuki a look which was ignored and sighed before answering his leader's question. "I'm alive. Teaching takes a toll eventually, you know?" The Hokage laughed and nodded. "It's a good toll, though. I love my job. Love my students." Iruka's grip on the folders and papers in his arms tightened. "I almost don't want to let them go. I want to keep them all to myself…" He trailed off and stared at the tops of the folders and papers. "But that's silly. How have you been, Hokage-Sama?"

"Please," the old man said, "when it's just us, I am Sarutobi. And I've been as well as an old man like me can be, thank you for asking. Now sit, sit." Sarutobi motioned to the two chairs across from his chair and Iruka sat down quickly. Mizuki hesitated, staring at the pair for a few seconds before sitting down beside his colleague. "So, who passed this year?"

Iruka laughed. "Everyone in the mandatory class. I was honestly surprised to see all eighteen of our students pass. Well, except Naruto-Kun, Shikamaru-Kun, and Sasuke-Kun of course." Iruka smiled brightly, ignoring the way Mizuki tensed beside him. Sarutobi looked between the two of them curiously but said nothing on what he saw.

"That's excellent!" he said instead. "So we will have six Genin teams?" At Iruka's nod, the Hokage laughed. "Wonderful. Inu," he called. Iruka willed himself not to freak out when an ANBU appeared silently by Sarutobi's side. "Would you please get me the list of available Jounin?" The ANBU nodded and vanished. They waited a few moments in silence for the ANBU to return. He returned quickly with the list Sarutobi asked for and left quickly. Sarutobi skimmed over the list and hummed to himself. "Well, we have nine sensei available this year. Hopefully we will have some new Jounin next year." He chuckled. "We have Abarai Kino, Boshi Masuda, Hatake Kakashi, Mitarashi Anko, Oshinge Natsumi, Sarutobi Asuma, Tsumaru Riika, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Yuuhi Kurenai."

"Not a bad line up," Mizuki commented. "I'm going to be honest, I don't think Anko-San, Natsumi-San, or Inoichi-San should take teams this year." Iruka looked over at his partner in confusion. Mizuki looked at the two men in the room with him and sighed. "Inoichi-San's daughter is going to be in the Genin groups this year. Imagine if we didn't give him her team. He would throw a fit but I don't believe he would be able to discipline her like she'll need. Natsumi-San is still recovering from her miscarriage and Anko-San is… More suited to torment Chuunin than Genin."

Iruka nodded slightly as he thought over Mizuki's words. Either Mizuki had put a lot of thought into who he thought the sensei should be or Iruka seriously underestimated the white haired man's skills. He didn't like to think that he belittled his colleague so he shrugged off that thought.

Sarutobi hummed aloud. "Have you spent time thinking about this, Mizuki?" Mizuki blushed and nodded. "Oh don't be embarrassed. That's a good thing. It shows compassion for your students." Sarutobi laughed and looked at Iruka. "Do you agree with your colleague?" Iruka nodded without hesitation. "Then it seems we have our sensei for this year picked out."

Iruka sighed. "Now comes the hard part." The three of them shared a laugh as Iruka plopped down the folders and papers onto the Hokage's desk. Sarutobi reached forward and began paging through what Iruka and Mizuki had compiled. It was quiet while he read through the pages. When he set them down, Mizuki spoke up first.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto should be on a team," he said firmly. Iruka turned and stared at his friend. "What?" he hissed at the brunette. "_Someone_ needs to watch over the demon child."

"Naruto is not a demon!" Iruka shouted, his hands curling into fists. "Why do you keep saying that, Mizuki-Kun?" They glared at each other.

"Mizuki, Iruka," Sarutobi said soothingly. "Calm down. Iruka, tell me who you think Naruto-Kun should be with."

Grudgingly, Iruka looked away from Mizuki. "I agree that Naruto and Sasuke-Kun should be together but _not_ for the awful reason Mizuki-Kun has given." Mizuki scoffed. "Shut _up_, Mizuki-Kun!" Iruka huffed and looked at the Hokage.

"Okay," he said calmly. "Why?"

Huffing, Iruka explained, "Their scores were nearly even. If Mizuki hadn't been grading so biasedly, Naruto-Kun probably would have earned a better score than Sasuke-Kun. Their scores were nearly astronomical, Hokage-Sama! And have you seen them fight? When they're older and stronger, I hope they never fight each other. They're at roughly the same skill level. Rocks that need chiseled into statues." Iruka sighed and leaned back into his chair, looking earnestly at his leader. Sarutobi eyed the two of them for a long, silent minute. Iruka was sitting on the edge of his seat, his hands gripping the edge of his leader's desk. Beside him, Mizuki was slouched and was scowling at Iruka.

"I believe the boys should be together on a team as well," the old man finally said. "They need each other. After the Uchiha Massacre, neither boy has been the same." He sighed.

"What… What do you mean, Hokage-Sama?" Iruka asked softly. At the Hokage's look, Iruka amended, "Sarutobi-San."

The older man shook his head. "Itachi-Kun was a special boy, Iruka. He impacted many lives."

"He met Naruto-Kun?" Iruka exclaimed as he slid back into his chair. "I see," he murmured at the old man's nod. "I see." He sighed and shook his head. "Maybe one day I can ask him. So we're in agreement for Naruto-Kun and Sasuke-Kun on a team?" He looked to Mizuki who nodded and the Hokage who needed as well. Sarutobi pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen and started writing something down. Iruka quirked a brow but said nothing.

"Alright. Any ideas for the third member of their team?" Sarutobi asked.

"Let's wait. They're very… Special boys," Mizuki suggested. At Iruka's glare, Mizuki groaned. "Let it go, Iruka!" Iruka sighed and looked away, focusing on Sarutobi again instead.

"I agree with Mizuki." Sarutobi laughed and smiled, looking down at the list of sensei and students. He stared at the students for a long minute and reached into the pile of papers, pulling out test scores. He skimmed it and looked at the list of students. "Tell me about… Nodoka."

Iruka smiled. "Nodoka-Chan is a very bright girl. She's good at aiming and trapping. She probably could use some more tutoring on ninjutsu and logical thinking and mathematics. She's quiet and is a positive source of energy." The brunette looked to his left at Mizuki. "What do you think, Mizuki-Kun?"

Mizuki sighed. "She's pretty damn smart, I have to admit. What, she got third for girls scores? She worked really well with Naruto but they wouldn't do well on a team. She's quick on her feet but she didn't do well on the writing test." He shrugged. "She has room for improvement. Not sure what else to say."

Sarutobi hummed. "Was there anyone else on her level that she would work well with?" he asked, looking up from Nodoka's profile to the men in front of him.

"Shinji Kai and Dosu Kentaro," Iruka and Mizuki said in surprising unison. Iruka looked at Mizuki and laughed lightly. "Kai-Kun and Kentaro-Kun then?" Iruka asked lightly.

Sarutobi looked between them. "I'll trust your judgment, boys." He scribbled something down on the piece of paper and looked at the class roster, marking something on that as well. "Okay. What about Hinata? I hear she's made friends with Kiba and Shino. Do you think it would be wise to keep them together?" Sarutobi looked up at them with a gentle smile. Mizuki responded first.

"Well normally we would try to split up friends but Hinata rarely interacts with other students and she has the second highest test scores for the female group." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly, they should stay together as a team. Kiba and Shino are especially skilled with tracking and Hinata has the Hyuuga bloodline which helps for tracking as well. We could have them specifically for a tracker team."

Iruka looked over at Mizuki, a surprised smile on his face. "That's exactly what I was thinking!" he said happily, patting his colleague's leg. Sarutobi only nodded and jotted something down on his paper.

"So we have Ai Naomi, Akimichi Chouji, Asagi Ryuuga, Baya Asahina, Bishou Renji, Chen Riina, Dachi Takemaru, Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino," Sarutobi said calmly. "Tell me, who would you team up?"

"Takemaru-Kun, Renji-Kun, and Asahina-Chan would definitely make a good team," Iruka said. "They're our little genjutsu experts," he chuckled here, "and hardly know each other. Actually, Asahina-Chan hangs out with Nodoka-Chan and Takemaru-Kun has no friends –not that I know of. Renji-Kun is friends with everyone. Regardless, they all excel at genjutsu. I can imagine them working well with our tracker team as an interrogation team. Kami, I can see them rivaling the Yamanakas for T&I."

"Really?" Mizuki asked. "I more saw Riina with Takemaru and Renji than Asashina. Riina is a good balance for them because she does better at critical thinking than the boys. Then Naomi and Ryuuga can be paired with Asahina. That way, on that team, their skills will be balanced out. Naomi and Ryuuga are both very good ninjutsu users and would be able to protect Asahina if she were to use her genjutsu. Do you see what I'm saying?" Mizuki questioned.

Iruka nodded. "Yes, but it would be easier if there was one ninjutsu user on each team in that case. If we set Renji instead of Naomi with Asahina and Ryuuga, that would give the Naomi-Riina-Takemaru balance needed." Mizuki nodded.

"You know, that sounds good." Mizuki smiled and laughed, reaching over to squeeze Iruka's hand. "Pretty good, Iruka, pretty good."

Sarutobi laughed. "So Naomi, Riina, and Takemaru and Ryuuga, Asahina, and Renji?" He asked cheerfully. Mizuki nodded and let go of Iruka's hand, reclining in his seat. "Very good. That leaves Chouji, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Ino. Tell me your thoughts."

"I think that Shikamaru-Kun, Ino-Chan, and Chouji-Kun should be together. The Ino-Shika-Chou triad has never failed us before, right?" Iruka asked. "Besides, Sakura-Chan would do well to balance out Naruto-Kun and Sasuke-Kun."

"I disagree," Mizuki cut in. "Sakura and Ino should be on a team together." At both Iruka and Sarutobi's incredulous looks, Mizuki expanded. "They're rivals. Violent, loud, and angry rivals. Imagine if we could turn that into team work and power. They would be tough to beat. If we threw in Chouji, it would be incredible. Their power with Chouji's family jutsu backing them would be… Amazing." Mizuki sighed and looked at Iruka.

"No," insisted the brunette. "Sakura would be a light balance for Sasuke and Naruto." He looked to his leader. "Sarutobi-San. What do you think?"

Sarutobi looked at them and looked down at the papers he was provided with. "Sakura would only upset Naruto and Sasuke. She's loud and endearing, I agree. For Naruto and Sasuke, though? I honestly cannot see her on a team with them with it working out." He met Iruka's upset gaze. "Iruka. Think about Naruto and Sasuke. What kind of people are they?"

"Quiet. And they both have little tolerance…" Iruka sighed. "Okay. Sakura-Chan and Ino-Chan. And Chouji-Kun?" He saw Mizuki nod from his peripheral vision and Sarutobi wrote something down. "Leaving Shikamaru-Kun to be on a team with Sasuke-Kun and Naruto-Kun." He laughed lightly and looked at Sarutobi. "So just the sensei?" At Sarutobi's nod, Mizuki spoke.

"Masuda would be good for the Naomi-Riina-Takemaru team and Riika would be good for the Asahina-Ryuuga-Renji team," he said quickly. He looked at Sarutobi and Iruka who didn't object. "For the Ino-Saku-Chou team, their sensei would need to be firm and not up to dealing with their crap."

Iruka frowned thoughtfully while Sarutobi only laughed. "My son," the old man said firmly. "Asuma is a firm, domineering person. He might be a little lazy but he doesn't put up with childrens' attitudes. As he might say, he does not appreciate 'jacking off'."

Iruka laughed. "I can see him molding Sakura-Chan, Ino-Chan, and Chouji-Kun into a good team." Sarutobi jotted something down. "Kurenai-Kun would be good for the tracker team. If they can track, she would be able to capture and that would be good for them. Ne, Mizuki-Kun?"

"Aa," Mizuki said. "She's also a very good tracker." He laughed, watching Sarutobi write something else down. "Kino would do well for Team Nodo-Kenta-Kai. He's excellent with genjutsu and very gentle. He would do them good. Which leaves…" He trailed off and snickered, nudging Iruka's knee with his. "Iruka's boyfriend."

"Shut up," Iruka grumbled. "Kakashi is just a friend." He scowled as Mizuki and Sarutobi laughed. "Anyway!" The brunette said loudly. "Kakashi would definitely do our quiet team some good. He's a former ANBU, which puts him on that level for these boys. He's the Copycat Nin, which shows how much he knows. After copying so much, surely he's learned his fair share of jutsu." He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ignore Mizuki's leer.

"Agreed; Kakashi would do wonders for them," the white haired man stated.

"Kakashi it is," Sarutbo said. He wrote something down and read over the paper. "Okay. I'll contact the Jounin tonight and they can pick team numbers. I'll have the list on your desk tomorrow morning, Iruka." Iruka grinned and nodded. "You may leave." He waved as the two Chunin vanished in puffs of smoke. The old man sighed and reached into one of his drawers, pulling out his pipe. He lit it and puffed on it slowly, staring at the list. "Well, this year will be interesting." He chuckled and shook his head, pulling out some more paper to start writing the letters. He looked forward to watching things play out.


	5. Teamwork and Bells

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Chapter 4 has a side chapter. That chapter will answer the team dynamics question. If you have questions, (politely!) ask them in a review and I'll see where I can squeeze the answers in.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

The morning dawned grey with clouds settled softly on the edge of the horizon, looking ready to invade Konoha at any given time. It was five in the morning, according to the bright orange numbers winking at Naruto from his bedside table across the room. He woke up at four-thirty and decided to take a hot bath and had been in the tub for a half hour, which had done him a world of good. While he was adjusted to having nightmares every single night, they still wore the blond out and he occasionally needed a bath. He came out of the bath feeling fresh, relaxed, and surprisingly calm. He shimmied his clothes on and tied his headband around his neck tightly so it was secure. He had decided to forego his jacket and tank-top since he worked easier without his jacket and had opted, instead, for a slim fitting long sleeved black turtle neck with orange around the top of the neck and around the wrists and the kanji for his last name in orange down his left sleeve.

Naruto slowly walked out of his room and made his way to the living room-slash-kitchen. He lived in a small, three roomed apartment. There was the living-kitchen room, the bedroom and toilet, and the shower and bath. It was a simple layout but Naruto preferred it that way; there was less clutter and there wasn't much to get attached to in a worst case scenario. The blond yawned and made his way into the kitchen half of the room, pulling out some supplies for a simple tamagoyaki recipe he'd learned with his ANBU. He made it as quickly as he could and went to the living room, sitting down on the lone three seat couch that he'd managed to buy. Screw what Kakashi had said; the blond never skipped breakfast. It was, after all, the most important meal of the day.

During his meal there was a quick knock on the door and it opened by itself.

"Dammit Sai," Naruto snapped, not looking up from his food. "I told you not to use the spare key like that!"

There was a pause before his companion answered. "How did you know it was me?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked up at the black haired fourteen year old who stared at him with a blank expression. "You're the only one who knows where my spare key is, idiot," Naruto snapped, setting his half-finished plate on the floor for the time being. "Besides, no one visits me anymore." His tone became wistful and he looked slightly past Sai at the front door, his eyes glazed over. He sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Whatever. It's been a while since you stopped by, Sai." At those words, Naruto picked up his plate again and went back to eating.

"Yes, it has," Sai said in his monotone of a voice. "I have not had the time to drop in." Naruto rolled his eyes and stuffed the last of his tamagoyaki into his mouth. "That's disgusting," Sai stated firmly.

"So?" Naruto shot back, swinging himself to his feet. He carried his plate to the sink and tossed it in, studiously ignoring the towering pile of dishes. Naruto looked back to Sai and forced a light laugh at the teen's slightly irritated look.

"Have you even cleaned your room? You know you will attract mice if it says filthy." Naruto's face lit up at the mention of cleaning his room and he nodded eagerly.

"Go see it!" he told Sai excitedly, watching his friend walk off into his room. Sai returned a few moments later, looking pleased. Well, he looked as pleased as he could look. "Well?" Naruto demanded.

Sai nodded. "I approve." The pair stared at each other for a few moments before Sai broke the silence. "I was told you've been put on a Genin team, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and made his way back to the couch, sitting on the right side of it. He drew his knees to his chest and looked at Sai, his face soft and relaxed. "Aa, I was. Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru are my teammates. Hatake Kakashi is my sensei."

Sai's eyes narrowed. "Hatake?" he asked, his tone nonchalant. Naruto didn't miss the disgust that crossed his face at his sensei's last name, though. Naruto nodded. "Then you should probably get going for his test." Naruto sat up and looked at the clock on his stove, his brows arching in surprise.

"You're right. Want to walk with me?" he smiled a soft smile at Sai who merely shrugged. Naruto flung himself up and walked over to the door, tapping on his shoes. He grabbed his weapon holster and strapped it around his upper left thigh. He patted himself down and backtracked into the house, getting his keys and wallet from his coat pocket. He didn't want to leave them laying around, especially if he wanted to go to Ichiraku's afterward. Naruto quickly returned to the front door and grabbed Sai's elbow, pulling his friend out of the house. Naruto locked and shut the door behind them and together they set off to the training field.

The walk seemed to take no time at all and sooner than Naruto liked, the duo was standing at the edge of the training field. Naruto stared up at his friend and, without giving himself a moment to hesitate, pulled the dark haired teen into a hug. Sai tensed in the hug but Naruto didn't care. He mentally counted to three and let Sai go, ignoring the blush and confusion on the teen's face. Naruto grabbed Sai's hand and looked up at his friend.

It had been a while since Naruto got to hang out with Sai. Sai was Naruto's second ANBU guard after his first disappeared. When Naruto turned eleven, Sai had decided to introduce himself since Naruto's need for an ANBU guard was ending. It was, after all, the Third's way of keeping tabs on Naruto until he graduated the academy. Naruto shook his head and stared at Sai; due to his rank, the teen was often busy with missions now that he was free of guarding duty.

Taking a breath, Naruto said, "It was nice to spend time with you, Sai." His voice was quiet and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes but Sai smiled back anyway. Naruto didn't feel bad about his smile because hell would freeze over before Sai gave anyone a real smile. Taking his hand back, the blond continued, "Have a good day, Sai!"

"You as well, Naruto," Sai replied. Naruto spun around and walked off to find his team, a black spot in a sea of green and brown.

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair and sighed sharply as he walked toward the training logs set up in the field. He could see Sasuke and Shikamaru already there and quickened his pace to meet up with them. Naruto slowed down when he could almost clearly see Shikamaru's face and tipped his head to the side, coming to a stop just outside of the dirt arena that housed the training logs. Shikamaru was laying on his stomach and Sasuke was leaning against a log.

"Good morning," Naruto greeted quietly. Sasuke looked up at him and replied a quiet 'hn'. Shikamaru, on the other hand, looked up and grunted before giving Naruto his greeting back to him. Naruto plopped down on the grass, preferring to get grass than dirt on his black pants. "Kakashi-Sensei is going to be late again," he commented dryly.

"What makes you say that?" Shikamaru asked from his spot about ten feet away from Naruto.

Shrugging, the darkly clothed boy said, "He was late yesterday. We waited two hours, Shikamaru. I don't know anyone who has been later than half an hour anywhere. Do you? Or you, Sasuke?" Naruto shot both of his teammates a look and, after a pause, Sasuke shook his head. Shikamaru had his eyes squeezed shut and looked to be thinking. He sighed loudly and shook his head slowly. "Exactly my point."

"So I could have slept in?" Shikamaru asked, a whine underlying his voice.

"Yes," Naruto said, "and I could have had more tamagoyaki."

"…You had tamagoyaki?" Sasuke snapped. In response to Naruto's nod, he said, "At least I'm not the only one who ate breakfast."

"My mom forced some nori down my throat," Shikamaru chimed in. Naruto chuckled; weren't they off to a great start as a team? Barely into day one and already all three of them were disobeying their sensei. Honestly, though, Naruto would rather disobey his sensei than work on an empty stomach, even if the food was a food pill or some instant mush. Naruto sighed and stretched out on his side along the grass, staring at Sasuke's feet with a blank expression on his face. If Kakashi wasn't there in half an hour, Naruto was just going to nap. He was sure Shikamaru would too.

Half an hour turned into an hour and then two and finally three before Kakashi finally showed up. The only team member still conscious was Sasuke and it was obvious he was being tried. Someone had to stay awake though. Kakashi's appearance startled Sasuke into full consciousness and he nudged Shikamaru's face before going over to shake the blond in the grass.

Once again, Naruto noted how harsh Sasuke woke people up. He was shaken roughly for a few seconds before his name was snapped. The blond blinked his eyes blearily and sat up, stretching out his arms as he yawned. He cracked his back and sighed, looking around. He easily located Sasuke and Shikamaru who were both standing and he noted Kakashi was standing with them as well. Naruto pushed himself up and brushed grass off of his clothes before joining his team in a small circle.

Kakashi looked at them all with his single visible eye for a moment. "Good morning!" He chirped.

"You're late," Naruto deadpanned, glaring at his sensei who stared at him blankly for a moment.

"I was lost on the road of life," he stated firmly.

"Right and I hate tamagoyaki." Naruto defiantly raised his eye brows at Kakashi who only stared back. Naruto scoffed and looked away, folding his arms across his chest. He ignored Shikamaru's eye brow raise and glared off to the side, annoyance coursing through him. He knew Kakashi was going to be late but he knew if he hadn't shown up on time, Kakashi would have and there would have been some problems with their 'test' for the day. The test. Naruto looked back to Kakashi, wondering what Sai hated about the man and what the test was about that he wanted Naruto at the training grounds on time. Naruto raised his brows in curiosity this time as he stared at Kakashi.

The silver haired sensei looked at each boy for a moment before speaking to them. "As I said yesterday, we are going to have a little test." He chuckled and, to Naruto, it came off as almost cruel. Kakashi motioned to his waist where there were two bells just dangling there. "I have two bells. Each of you needs to get a bell in order to pass the test."

"There are two bells," Naruto stated flatly, staring at the bells firmly.

"Aren't you smart?" Kakashi asked brightly. "Yes, there are two bells. This means only two of you will pass. The person without a bell will be tied to one of these posts," he motioned to the training logs, "and will not get lunch. So." He looked at the three of them and seemed to be smiling. "Come at me with the intent to kill. Begin."

Almost immediately, Sasuke took off and ran into the forest. Naruto shot Shikamaru a sideways glance and received a short nod in response. Naruto shot off into the forest, Shikamaru on his heels. Neither noticed the confused look Kakashi's one eye seemed to display. Naruto quickly leapt into a tree and began jumping through trees in the general direction that the Uchiha had run off to.

"Is he an idiot?" Naruto asked softly as Shikamaru easily passed him and took the lead.

"Maybe," was the reply the blond earned. Naruto rolled his eyes and pushed more chakra into his shoes, catching up to Shikamaru so they were running evenly. Five minutes passed before Shikamaru slowed to a stop and dropped down out of the tree tops and onto the ground. Naruto followed and looked around, his head cocked as he listened for any signs of life outside of them. "Naruto," Shikamaru said, drawing Naruto's attention back to him. "Should we focus on us?"

Shaking his head, Naruto said, "No. My friend was acting weird this morning when I told him we had Kakashi for a teacher. I think focusing on Team Seven as a whole is the key. So we need a plan."

Shikamaru nodded slowly and squatted down, touching the tips of all his fingers together, forming a circle with them. He closed his eyes and Naruto looked at him for a few moments, turning his attentions to the trees and bushes shortly after. They needed a distraction and one of them could try and convince Sasuke to help. Naruto knew Sasuke was pretty self-sufficient and would probably reject their help if he offered. Well damn. Of course, the 'token female' would end up being bait. Weren't women always the bait in cliché stories?

"I am not a woman," Naruto said aloud, amused by Shikamaru's snort.

"Yes, I'm aware," Shikamaru stated. "Now shut up unless you have a plan."

Naruto looked over, his head tilted sideways so he could listen with one ear to the sounds around them. "We need bait. We can go find Sasuke. I will attack Kakashi while you try and convince Sasuke to help us get the bells. If he refuses, come help me. If he accepts, come help me anyway." Both boys cracked smiles at that and Shikamaru stood from his crouch, nodding slowly. With the plan in mind, Naruto leapt back into the trees, stretching out his senses to try and find Sasuke. He located Kakashi easily because the man obviously wasn't trying to hide from them. Sasuke was a bit tougher to find, though. He didn't want to be found. Naruto sighed and pushed himself harder, darting toward where he could feel minor chakra emanating from.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru called. "Stop. He's only a few feet away." Naruto nodded and leapt down to the ground, landing in a crouch. Shikamaru landed next to him upright and the brunette sighed. "Okay. I'll throw you a kunai just before I let Sasuke know I'm there. When you get it, go." Naruto nodded and stood, his body poised to run at any given moment. He heard the kunai before he saw it and caught the handle as it flew passed his ear. He flipped it around so he was holding it properly and he darted out of the cover of the greenery, running straight at Kakashi.

Before the teacher could look up from his orange book, Naruto swiped at him, annoyed but not surprised when Kakashi easily dodged it. Naruto jumped back and twirled the kunai in his hand, eyeing his sensei who finally looked up and appeared to be smiling.

"Did it get boring when you realized I wasn't going to play tag?" Kakashi asked, not putting away his book. Naruto narrowed his eyes in annoyance and sighed into his headband that he worried was going to get in his way. He contemplated tying it around his forehead or casting it off but decided against it. It wouldn't be a fight without it on and it would feel tight on his forehead. Without further thought, Naruto threw Shikamaru's kunai at Kakashi who caught it between his fingers and threw it back without so much as a flinch. His eye closed in what Naruto presumed to be a smile and he went back to his book while Naruto ducked the kunai. He heard it connect with something and hoped it was a tree.

Naruto frowned at Kakashi and closed his eyes, hoping he would be able to do his jutsu properly. There was a puff of smoke and a few clones were around him, all in various positions of disinterest. That was until they noticed their opponent. One Naruto laughed harshly and threw himself at Kakashi and the others followed suit while Naruto prepared to do a substitution. He hoped Shikamaru would show up soon. At this point he didn't care if Sasuke came or not; it was hard for Naruto to maintain one clone for more than five minutes, much less five clones for one minute. Kakashi easily took out two clones and threw a kunai at the real one. Naruto barely managed to substitute himself with a leaf, moving himself quickly into the tree behind the training logs. If there was an easier method for cloning, Naruto needed to learn it.

Naruto pulled out a few senbon and aimed them at Kakashi's neck, throwing them. He ground his teeth together in anger when his sensei replaced himself with one of Naruto's active clones. It was only a matter of seconds before the clones destroyed each other. Naruto pushed out his senses, hoping to find Kakashi.

"Where the hell did he go?" Naruto ground out angrily.

"Behind you," came a cheerful voice, causing Naruto to flinch involuntarily. He moved to spin around and punch Kakashi when a cold blade was pressed to his jugular. "Don't move," Kakashi warned, "or I'll cut you."

"Yeah, I haven't heard that one before," Naruto snapped sarcastically. He closed his eyes and focused his chakra, replacing himself with a branch. He knew seconds after reappearing where the branch had been that he'd just fallen for a trap. Naruto's sandal soles connected with the ground and his ankles were caught and he was ripped violently into the air. Naruto winced at the sudden whiplash and rubbed his neck. He hung there for a moment before a tinkling sound entered his hearing. He blinked and stared around him, trying to make sense of the upside down world. He saw Shikamaru sprinting away from Kakashi. The sensei made no move to chase after Shikamaru so Naruto had to wonder if his friend got the bells.

Naruto hung in the air for a few more seconds and, when Kakashi cut him down and swung him over his shoulder, deduced that Shikamaru had indeed recovered the bells. A few more seconds passed and Naruto was tied to the center training log, hanging there limply. He huffed and watched as an irritated looking Shikamaru and a grumpy looking Sasuke marched out of the forest.

"Hey," Shikamaru grumbled as he sat down beside the blond. "Sasuke was being difficult. Apparently we had ulterior motives." Shikamaru shook his head in disgust and buried his face in his palms. Sasuke didn't say anything and merely sat on Naruto's other side, staring at the bell in his palm. Shikamaru grumbled something unintelligible and Kakashi took that moment to start speaking, cutting off whatever it was the brunette was saying.

"Well," there was a smile in Kakashi's voice, "I want you all to know that I don't think you failed." Beside Naruto, Sasuke smirked. "I think that all three of you boys need to go straight back to the academy." Naruto noted Sasuke's smirk slipping off and couldn't help a smirk of his own.

"As long as you're not my sensei next year," Naruto replied easily, "then I can do another year of the academy." He smiled brightly at the silver haired Jounin sensei and blinked innocently while Shikamaru snorted.

"Perhaps you should return then, brat," was Kakashi's reply. "Would you like to know why I've given you my verdict?"

"Oh please," Naruto answered, "enlighten us. I want to know."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at the blond and spoke harshly. "You didn't use team work."

"I call bullshit!" Shikamaru exclaimed, looking up. His hands fell together so their palms pressed against one another and he glared at Kakashi. "Naruto and I worked together and we tried to get Sasuke together. Troublesome Uchiha." Shikamaru scowled and unfolded his palms, dropping his face back into them.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "I saw you two go into the forest together. Naruto attacked me alone and when he was in peril, you took the bells Shikamaru." Kakashi glared, almost daring Shikamaru to interrupt. The brunette didn't bother looking up again. "As I was saying, there was no team work. A team cannot function without you working together. What would have happened if this was a real mission?" There was silence in response to this question. Even the animals seemed to have silenced. "Exactly. Naruto, at the very least, would be dead. I will give you another chance. I only have one rule." Kakashi looked at all of them and rested his gaze on Shikamaru. "Do not feed Naruto. Your bento are above Naruto." With those words, Kakashi disappeared.

The air was still for a moment before Sasuke stood and jumped onto the top of the log Naruto was tied to. He dropped to the ground with three bento boxes and handed Shikamaru one. He set the other two down and pulled out a kunai, cutting Naruto free. Naruto slid pathetically down the log and rested there as Sasuke dropped a bento box in his lap. Naruto looked up at Sasuke and nodded his thanks before the taller boy sat down. Naruto slid the lid off of the bento box and smiled at the sight of tamagoyaki. He looked over at Sasuke's lunch, surprised to see the Uchiha already digging into the onigiri meal. To his right, Shikamaru was happily chomping on some mackerel and kelp. Kakashi had been paying attention to their introductions.

For some reason, knowing that Kakashi actually paid attention to them made Naruto happy and he dug into his food. It was the good stuff, too. What he made was nice, simple, and generic. What he was eating was almost gourmet tamagoyaki. Naruto rolled his eyes at himself and continued to pile the food into his mouth. He wondered absently if Kakashi would be upset that Sasuke had untied him.

"Sasuke," Naruto stated.

"Hn?"

"Why did you untie me?"

Sasuke hesitated before answering. "If we're going to work together this time, you need to eat lunch." Naruto looked over.

"I don't eat lunch. Lie and tell me this is brunch or something," Naruto said.

A curious look crossed Sasuke's face but he complied nonetheless. "You need to eat brunch so we can work together properly." Naruto laughed lightly and nodded, going back to eating his food. It was quiet for a few minutes with the boys just eating their food.

"Naruto." The blond looked up and over at Shikamaru, blinking. "Troublesome boy," was his answer. Naruto stared at his friend for a moment before his eyes lit up in understanding and he nudged Shikamaru's knee with his. That was his friend's way of apologizing for not being there to help him with his fight against Kakashi.

"Whatever," Naruto replied lightly before finishing off his tamagoyaki. He set his empty bento box aside and leaned back against the training log, closing his eyes. He was surprised when there was a puff of smoke and a cheerful exclamation that he really had no word for. He blinked and stared blankly at Kakashi who was smiling, or so Naruto thought, at them.

"Congratulations," Kakashi announced cheerfully, though Naruto sensed his cheer was forced. "You're all an official ninja team. Welcome to Team Seven!"

Naruto tilted his head to the side and smiled. He wouldn't be going back to the academy and he wouldn't be dirt poor. The only downside was his teacher seemed to be chronically late. That would probably be an annoyance later. For the moment, though, Naruto felt he had nothing to complain about. Team Seven was official.

"Hn. You shouldn't have thought any different, Kakashi." Naruto arched his brows hearing Sasuke address their sensei without an honorific. Sure, in his mind Naruto didn't give his elders respect but verbally he was sure to give them some honorific.

"Don't be so cocky, Sasuke," Kakashi shot back, not batting a lash. If Sasuke's disrespect annoyed him, Naruto certainly couldn't tell. He sighed and shook his head, stretching out. "Tomorrow," Kakashi said, addressing Team Seven as a whole again, "we will start taking actual missions. Meet me here tomorrow at seven in the morning. I'll have your first missions then."

"Hey," Naruto objected, remembering his struggle with holding simple Bushins. "What about training?"

"For now," Kakashi replied, "study on your own. If you have any questions just ask. I don't know your skills yet, individually or as a team, so I can't focus on training."

Naruto's shoulders dropped. "Alright. If that's all." Naruto pushed himself up and dusted the dirt off his pants. He bent over and grabbed his bento box, shoving it into Kakashi's hands as he walked passed. "I'm gonna head off." Naruto waved to Sasuke and Shikamaru and nodded to Kakashi before making his way back toward Konoha. He was finally a ninja according to his sensei and, though he didn't show it, Naruto really was excited. He knew that they would be getting D rank missions for the most part but anything was better than sitting through another year of the academy. Naruto shivered at that thought and quickly made his way to his apartment, hoping Sai was there so he could share the events of the day with his friend. Halfway home, Naruto decided to stop for ramen and got three bowls to go. If Sai was at his place, they could share one bowl and each have one. If not, all the more for him. Naruto arrived at his apartment shortly thereafter and fumbled with the door. He kicked it open and stepped inside, calling out as he took off his shoes, "I'm home!"

He was pleasantly surprised when Sai answered, "Welcome home." Naruto laughed and made his way into the kitchen with the same, eager to spend some time with his friend.


	6. Side Chapter: Cherished

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** This is a side chapter. It will probably answer some Naruto/Itachi questions. A question about the team dynamics was asked in review to chapter 3 and I have written a side chapter already in reply to that. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask (keep them polite!) and I'll see if I can't squeeze them into a side chapter. So far (including this one) there are three side chapters. More will come.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

It wasn't uncanny for him to be yelled at. Demon, monster, beast, murderer, and Satan were just a few of the common names yelled at him day in and day out. Naruto had thought that if he became a ninja, the civilians of Konoha would start to respect him. In retrospect, that had been a pathetic thought. Certainly, he wasn't bullied anymore but that didn't stop the painful words. What made it worse was that only five kids in his class of eighteen students didn't call him mean things. Iruka-Sensei was also very nice so that made six people total that didn't hurt him emotionally.

He didn't understand why he was treated the way he was. Honestly, it didn't make sense. The worst thing he had done was when he was four and he ran away from the orphanage because he didn't want to be yelled at anymore. He stopped pranking people when he realized no one was laughing and it resulted in a punishment worse than being yelled at. Naruto winced at that thought, imagining he could still feel the whip on his shoulder and down his back. The scar never completely healed over but it had healed abnormally fast.

Since he could comprehend words at age three, Naruto had been constantly beaten down. No one had hit him until he was four and those weren't pleasant times for Naruto. The blond sighed and looked out his bedroom window, trying to drag himself out of the reminiscing. He couldn't, though. It had been so long and being around Sasuke and Shikamaru had made the memories resurface painfully.

"_You're so filthy!" "They let you shop here? I might have to change clothing stores." "I wish you would die!" "If you never existed, maybe Sachiko wouldn't be dead!"_

Naruto winced and drew his knees tightly to his chest. It never got better for him. Not when he was four, five, six, hell, it got worse as he grew older. People seemed to think that since he was six and a half, he would be able to defend himself or at least take the pain. The blond touched his cheek, a ghost pain causing him to turn his head as if slapped. He could almost feel the kicks to the gut, elbows to the back, pathetic and not so punches to the jaw. Twice, an angry house-wife who lost her parents or some distant family member had brought out a frying pan. One of the times, the pan had been fresh off the stove and still had bacon grease in it. Naruto's hand ghosted up his face, pressing against his left eye as he felt a shadow of pain. The scar from the grease was still there but it had healed so spectacularly that to see it, you actually had to be trying to see the colour difference in his skin. The pan had struck him across his cheek, shattering his cheekbone. Naruto was honestly surprised to come out of that without any sick disfiguration. His cheekbones were still as high as ever, making him slightly more feminine than he should have looked. He supposed that came from his mother.

A soft sigh escaped Naruto's lips as he looked around his room, glad that it was still clean after two days.

"What did I do?" Naruto whispered hoarsely. Whatever it was he did that caused the abuse warped Naruto's personality. Until he turned four, he had been a cheerful child despite the rudeness of other children. The second the first person laid a hand on him, though, the blond changed. No longer was he the boisterous little blond carrying around a stuffed toad, no longer did he grin at butterflies or coo at squirrels and gophers. He was quiet and, when spoken to, answered with answers no four year old should ever say. His toad got locked away in a closet in his apartment though he wasn't sure which one. Years later, Naruto still didn't want to know. Memories would resurface and he didn't know how he would handle that. Maybe he would break. Maybe his quiet persona would shatter and give way to a loud, obnoxious teen with no way to cope with the bad things except drawing attention to himself. Naruto shivered at the thought and shook his head; he was perfectly content with being the quiet, cynical blond. Nothing would change that.

Naruto laughed quietly at that and closed his eyes, wondering if he should sleep. _No._ That simple word jerked him from the relaxing position he had unconsciously slid into with his legs stretched out in front of him. No. He couldn't sleep. He would have a nightmare again. When was the last time he dreamed? The last time he dreamed was just before his ANBU left him.

Ah, his ANBU. Now there was a thought that wouldn't put Naruto too on edge so long as he didn't think about it too much. How did he meet his ANBU? The blond ran his fingers through his hair and looked out the window, his eyes set on the moon. _Tsuki the ANBU Guardian._

When Naruto was six, he liked to play at the park. Nine times out of ten he was sitting in the grass weaving grass crowns by himself but there were a couple times when Yashamoto Nodoka or Aburame Shino came and sat with him, not saying anything but weaving crowns with him. After academy, Naruto would go to the park and find a spot to sit and make crowns. This was normal and became routine for everyone. Naruto would generally show up first and parents would take their kids to the opposite side of the playground from him or children would know themselves to just avoid him. Nothing seemed to be interrupting this routine.

Naruto had grown accustomed to Nodoka and Shino's presence, not questioning them being there whenever they were. Sometimes he would see Nodoka with Asahina and they would be giggling but Naruto never saw Shino with anyone else. It was obvious, then, when someone that wasn't Nodoka or Shino approached him. Earlier in the day, Naruto had been on a roll in class, answering questions correctly left and right and he had been incredibly proud of himself, as had Iruka-Sensei. It was always good when he made Iruka-Sensei happy.

"Hey," someone had said, interrupting Naruto's crown weaving. Naruto looked up, curious to see who was coming to play with him today. Towering above him only because he was sitting down was Haruno Sakura, flanked by Yamanaka Ino and Chen Riina. "You're the one who was being too smart today."

Naruto stared at Sakura blankly. "I'm sorry?" he asked. "Can someone really be too smart? That doesn't really make sense, Sakura-San."

Ino huffed. "Well idiot, you wouldn't let anyone else answer questions! Iruka kept calling and calling on you! You were being way too smart."

"Really, that doesn't make any sense, Ino-San!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing down his grass crown. He stood up so he would at least have a chance if the girls started in on him. "I raised my hand but so did Sakura-San and I know Riina-San raised her hand too! So it's not my fault you didn't get picked."

"Yes. It. Is!" Sakura shouted, pushing Naruto. He stumbled back, his feet fumbling so he wouldn't fall. He managed to catch his footing but, upon looking down, found he stepped on his crown. He would have rather fallen than stomped his crown. "You should have just shut up and kept your hand down!"

"Yeah!" Riina chimed in. "Everyone knows Sakura is like the smartest one in our class! You shouldn't be trying to compete with her." Naruto rubbed his shoulder where Sakura had pushed him and shook his head at the girls.

"Come on," he sighed. "You're being stupid."

"So you _do_ think you're smarter than me!" Sakura screeched before punching Naruto. He fell back and landed on his butt, his hands clasped over his face. He sat there, staring up at the girl as warm, sticky blood oozed between his fingers. Well shit. That wasn't good. Sakura laughed. "That's what you get!"

Before the pink haired girl could say more, a deep voice interrupted. "Excuse me," the person said. Almost simultaneously, Naruto and the girls looked over at the taller boy. He looked to be about fourteen and had the trademark black hair of the Uchiha clan as well as the dark brown eyes they were known for. Naruto looked at him for a moment before giving his attention back to the girls in case they decided to hit him again. "I don't believe hitting a defenseless person is technically allowed. In this case, I should go find your parents."

Sakura spluttered incoherently for a few moments. "What!" She finally burst. "Well obviously you didn't see him push me!"

The teen raised his eyebrows at the young girl. "I arrived at the park almost a half hour ago. I saw everything."

Sakura glared. "Why were you watching us, you pervert?" If his nose wasn't bleeding, Naruto would have laughed at that; the teen was probably the least likely pervert at the park.

As it were, the teen merely looked at her. "I was looking for my younger brother. Now, why don't you just go back to the playground and leave him alone?"

The two glared at each other for a few silent seconds before Sakura huffed and stormed off, Ino and Riina behind her. Naruto watched them go with guarded eyes and, when they were far enough away, snapped his gaze back to the teen who had crouched down in front of him. He stared at Naruto for a few seconds.

"You are Naruto-Kun, correct?" Naruto nodded slowly. "I am Uchiha Itachi. Let me see your nose, maybe I can heal it." Naruto searched Itachi's face with his eyes for a few seconds while Itachi crouched patiently and watched Naruto. Finally, the blond removed his hand from his face. Itachi reached out and his lithe fingers pulled Naruto's chin toward him. He leaned down, ignoring the sudden reddening of Naruto's face, and examined his nose. He sighed and hovered his free palm above the blond's nose. His hand started to glow green and within seconds the blood stopped flowing. Itachi released Naruto and pulled out a wet wipe packet from Kami knows where, handing it to Naruto who quickly opened it and wiped his face hastily. Itachi rolled his eyes and took the cloth. "You are just like my otouto. Hasty and clumsy." He gently wiped Naruto's face clean and stood from his crouch, watching the blond stand.

"Thank you, Uchiha-San!" Naruto said quietly, bowing deeply.

"Aa, any decent human would have helped. Now, run along. It's almost dinner." Naruto peered up at Itachi and nodded, quickly spinning around to run off.

Naruto smiled at the memory and ghosted his fingers over his nose, imagining he could feel the elder Uchiha's touch gently cleaning off his face. To this day, Naruto cringed away from Sakura's fist. She had a mean punch. He laughed at the thought and shook his head. _Maybe I should try and sleep_, he thought to himself. _Or at least lay down_. With that slight goal in mind, the Genin kicked off his shoes and his pants and got up, taking his pants to his hamper. He quickly changed into his night clothes and went back to his bed, tossing his sandals somewhere into his room. He drew the covers back and curled up on the bed, drawing his covers over him. He looked back out the window and sighed.

"Itachi-San, where are you?" he asked to the moon, not expecting an answer.

When had he given away his heart? Naruto honestly couldn't say. Maybe it wasn't until he got older that he really began to feel the way he did. He hadn't known Itachi for long, really. He met him when he was six and again when he was almost seven. Itachi was the ANBU stationed to watch Naruto. He followed the blond around on his shift and even sent him gifts marked '_To: Naruto From: Tsuki_'. Naruto never would have suspected Uchiha Itachi, his one time saviour, was taking care of him and watching over him. When he was almost seven, sometime during July, the ANBU dropped in to visit him. He wore a blank mask with only eye-holes carved in them. His dark hair was pulled back and his bangs cast light shadows over his mask.

"Good evening, Naruto-Kun," he had said.

"…Hi," Naruto greeted quietly. After getting passed all the awkward introductions, Naruto was able to open up and talk to the ANBU. He found out it was him sending him gifts. The ANBU asked if Naruto would like a friend and Naruto, after some suspicion, said yes. Over the next year, the ANBU who introduced himself as Tsuki would show up sometimes with more gifts and would also help him cook. Naruto was actually happy for a change. Shortly before he was to turn eight, Tsuki stopped by with a basket for him. He helped Naruto make a meal and he watched Naruto eat.

"Naruto-Kun," he said. "I want to tell you something. I want to tell you my name."

"Why?" was Naruto's instant question. He knew ANBU weren't supposed to give out their names –something to do with their code and policies. If Tsuki told him his real name, there was a chance his ANBU status would be revoked.

Tsuki crouched down and gently touched Naruto's shoulders. "Naruto-Kun. Trust me when I say if I tell you my identity, it will be the least of my worries." Naruto's eyes darkened and he stared harshly at Tsuki who only sighed and took his hands back. "Naruto-Kun. I am Tsuki. I have cooked with you, cleaned with you, laughed with you, and brought you gifts for almost a year and before that, I was ordered to watch over you until such time as Hokage-Sama deemed it unnecessary."

"Right," Naruto answered calmly, his eyes dark still. He watched carefully as Tsuki removed his mask and set it on the floor and found himself staring into the face of Uchiha Itachi. "Uchiha-San?" he whispered.

Itachi reached out and cupped Naruto's cheek in his hand. "Naruto-Kun, I think you have earned the right to call me Itachi."

"I-Itachi-San?" Naruto tried out, a slight smile spreading onto his face at Itachi's smile. The blond's smile fell away quickly though. "Itachi-San, what is going on? Why are you telling me who you are?"

Itachi's smile fell and he withdrew his hand. "I can't tell you that," he replied, his voice quiet and sad. "I can tell you that you are a joy. Simply a joy. Don't let anyone, especially not my foolish otouto or the foolish villagers, tell you otherwise. If I could, Naruto-Kun, I wouldn't do what I have to do. I want you to know that you are cherished." Naruto stared at Itachi, surprised by his words and even more surprised to feel something wet on his cheeks. He reached up and touched his face with his fingertips; why was he crying? That one thought was enough for Naruto to lose it and he fell to his knees in his apartment and sobbed, not protesting when Itachi drew him into his arms.

That was the last time Naruto saw his ANBU. The blond had shifted positions; instead of curled on his side, he was lying on his stomach with his head buried in his pillow. It was wet and hard to breath but he didn't care. He needed to cry for a moment. Just a moment. He needed to cry because he missed his ANBU and because he knew. Naruto knew who Sasuke wanted to kill and Naruto knew exactly how he felt about Itachi. How both of them felt about Itachi. And they were both drastically different feelings.


	7. Better than the Academy

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Chapter 5 has a side chapter. That chapter will be about what Kakashi was doing to cause him to put Team Seven on a two week break. If you have questions, (politely!) ask them in a review and I'll see where I can squeeze the answers in. This chapter was a little bit rushed and I apologize. Summer break has begun so the chapters will be better than this in the future. Enjoy.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

"Sai?" Naruto called when he heard his front door open and close. "It never improves, does it?"

"What never improves?" came the monotone reply. Naruto finished pulling on his shirt and walked into his living room, buttoning and zipping his pants as he went.

"Missions." Naruto looked up, surprise on his face, when Sai laughed. Sai covered his mouth, looking at Naruto in amusement. Naruto scowled; Sai was _laughing_ at him! What the hell! Naruto huffed and turned away from Sai, going into the kitchen. He ignored the fact that his sink was somehow empty and went to the fridge, staring at the bare shelves. All that he had was a half-gallon of milk that he was sure expired. The blond sighed and went to one of the cupboards over the sink. He stood on his toes and managed to slip one cup of ramen out before he thumped back onto his heels. The blond shook his head and looked over at Sai who had shoved his hands in his pockets and was watching Naruto.

The brunette tipped his head to the side. "Missions improve," he stated flatly. "It just depends on your sensei." Naruto raised an eye brow at Sai. "So no, for you missions will not improve."

"Well shit," Naruto cursed, hitting his forehead with his ramen. "It's already been two months, Sai," he informed his friend, turning to put some water on to boil. He put the pot on and set the cup of ramen down on the counter beside the stove. When he was done, he leaned against the sink and faced Sai. "We're still rescuing Yumihi-Sama's cat and walking the Inuzuka dogs." He groaned in annoyance and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You will probably be doing that for a while yet, Naruto," Sai informed him. "You have Hatake as your sensei, after all."

Naruto looked up, raising his eye brows at Sai. That was the second time Naruto had heard Sai talk about Kakashi with disgust and disrespect. What the hell was that? Naruto bit the inside of his cheek for a few seconds. Should he ask? Well, if he didn't it would bother him immensely. "Sai," he began, "why don't you like my sensei?" Sai looked at Naruto, his face blank. Naruto stared back at him, his brows raised and a look of defiance about him. They stared at each other for a few long seconds.

"It's none of your concern," Sai finally said, looking over to the tea pot which hadn't begun to whistle yet. Naruto stared at him for a few moments, his brows raised.

"Alright then," he snapped, turning to face the tea pot as well. He closed his eyes and listened around him. It was quiet for a few moments before he heard footsteps. The front door opened and closed and Naruto was alone, as per his morning usual.

[ X x X ]

"Good morning," Shikamaru greeted lazily. Naruto nodded and tucked his mouth back behind his headband. Sasuke was leaning against the wall outside of the mission room of the academy and Shikamaru was laying on the bench beside the Uchiha. Naruto sighed and glanced around for Kakashi, not surprised that his sensei wasn't there. The blond rolled his eyes and moved over to the bench. He slid down the wall beside the bench and drew his knees to his chest, his gaze on the floor.

It was quiet. Naruto didn't expect anything less and it didn't bother him too much. It was a content quiet between Team Seven. Naruto huffed and ran his fingers through his hair before hugging himself around the chest. He closed his eyes and let his head loll. He hated that he was always so tired. It was because of the stupid nightmare he kept having. _No_, he scolded himself, _no. Now is not the time_. He sighed and brought his hands up to cover his face.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto hummed. "What's up?"

"My exhaustion level," Naruto deadpanned, not moving his face from his hands.

"Don't you sleep?" came Sasuke's voice. It was harsh, almost scolding. Like it was Naruto's fault his ANBU's face haunted him at night. He hissed into his hands before answering, attempting to remove the sad face of his ANBU that he always saw.

"Yes. Never passed four, but yes." He lifted his head and eyed his team. Both boys were looking at him –Shikamaru more concerned than Sasuke who wore a blank expression.

"Have you thought about seeing a medic nin?" Shikamaru demanded, sitting up. He peered at Naruto with a calculating look and the blond stared blankly back at him. They stared at each other while Sasuke stood on, watching with an uninterested expression. Naruto's gaze flickered to the Uchiha who merely arched a brow and Naruto looked away from both of his teammates.

With an annoyed sigh, Naruto said, "I don't need a medic nin." With that, Naruto turned away and leaned against the bench, watching the door to the mission room. Maybe Kakashi would actually show up on time. Naruto cupped his chin in his palms and stared through half lidded eyes at the door. What seemed like a few minutes later, Naruto was being nudged harshly awake. He flinched and stretched out, stretching out his arms and legs. He peered through his dark lashes at Sasuke who had his arms folded across his chest. A scowl marred his face as he stared down at Naruto. The blond sighed softly and pushed himself up, dusting off the seat of his pants. He looked at the trio in front of him. Beside Sasuke was Shikamaru and Kakashi stood behind them with a slightly curved eye that Naruto was slowly recognizing as the man's smile.

Without a word, Sasuke turned and marched passed their sensei and into the mission room, bumping shoulders with a disgruntled looking older male. Naruto arched a brow and exchanged looks with Shikamaru. Said brunette simply shrugged and they followed after the grumpy Uchiha, Kakashi right behind them. Naruto looked around the mission room to see if they would have a chance at getting a more advanced mission than they ones they had been getting as of late. Naruto rolled his eyes when he saw Iruka, Mizuki, a couple of lower grade teachers, and the Hokage. If they could just sway the Hokage into seeing their side, maybe they would get some semblance of a good mission. Despite his best efforts, Naruto was having trouble seeing how their so called 'missions' were better than being in the academy.

"Team Seven," the Hokage spoke, drawing Naruto's attention out from his musings. "Yumihi-Sama has stated she likes when you three get her cat because you do it swiftly and effectively. She doesn't have to wait very long. She promised she'll request you again." He looked up at them with a smile. "Well done, boys. Now…" He paused and looked down at the sheet of paper Naruto noticed he had. "The Inuzukas said their dogs come back exhausted, which is good, but they cower when told to heel." The old man looked up at the four males of Team Seven. "Why is that, do you think?" In unison, Shikamaru looked at the blond behind them and Kakashi smiled with his eye, ruffling Naruto's hair. Naruto grumbled and batted Kakashi's hand away from his head. "Well," the Hokage said in a slightly scolding tone. "Moving on. So far, you've received very positive reviews; you should all be proud of yourselves. There have been a couple of Genin teams that have been less than expected…" The man shook his head. "Alright. So, Kakashi-Sensei, what mission would you suggest for your team?" Naruto tilted his head back to stare at his sensei, hoping to pressure the man into getting them a good mission.

Kakashi looked at the three boys of his team and looked at his leader. "Not sure. What do you have available?"

The Hokage looked down at a separate sheet of paper and skimmed over it. "Ichiraku Ramen has a takeout order that was ordered from a small town a few miles west from Konoha. The Hyuuga need their lawn mowed because their servants are on vacation. You can do some trash pickup down by the river. We also have library duty." Naruto's head snapped forward and he glared darkly at the old man, ignoring Iruka's glare that stabbed him in the face.

"No," Naruto hissed angrily. "I'm sick of these missions. I'm sure Sasuke and Shikamaru will agree with me. These are chores! I'm not five anymore, Hokage-Sama, trust me." Naruto stared defiantly at his leader who smiled genially at him.

"These are the Genin missions. When you became a ninja, you agreed to take these missions," he said easily. The words almost came out rehearsed, as if better missions had been demanded before and been rejected. Naruto narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to retort angrily when Kakashi cut him off.

"Actually," the silver haired man stated, "can we wait? Maybe two weeks? I think that the boys need some time off of missions to actually train."

"Two weeks?" the Hokage asked. When Kakashi nodded, the old man wrote something down. "Alright. I'll send you each," he looked between the trio of Team Seven, "your last checks and you'll be getting paid time off added on for your next job, alright?" Naruto nodded and glanced at Sasuke and Shikamaru as they both nodded. "You are dismissed." Naruto left first, brushing passed Kakashi who only stepped aside for the other two boys. Naruto quickly left the academy with his head down and his eyes on the ground in front of him.

[ X x X ]

After his quick escape from the academy, Shikamaru had managed to catch up with Naruto and suggested that they train together. Naruto had a sneaking suspicion that he didn't want to find someone else to buddy with him and Naruto knew Kakashi wouldn't be there to train them, despite what he told the Hokage. Rather, despite the implications of what he told the Hokage.

Sasuke had declined training with them and went off on his own, leaving the other two confused. Naruto shrugged it off, deciding to let him be and Shikamaru didn't really want to put in the effort of seeking out the Uchiha and trying to figure out why he was behaving that way.

"Okay," Naruto began, "do you want to head to the team training grounds or what? Do you have anything specific in mind?" The blond looked over at Shikamaru who sighed loudly.

"I don't care. It's really troublesome trying to decide what to do. _This_ is why we have sensei!" The brunette trailed off into annoyed grumbles. He sighed. "This is so troublesome. What if we found another team and trained with them? Kakashi-Sensei would have no room to complain."

Naruto cocked his head to the side for a moment and stared at the brunette, a smile sliding onto his face. "Good idea, Shikamaru. Which team would you prefer to train with?" Shikamaru hung his head and grumbled some more about troublesome things. Naruto held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay," he said lightly, a nervous smile on his face. "What about Asuma-San's team? Haruno, Yamanaka, and Chouji are on that team." Shikamaru looked up and gave Naruto an annoyed look. "Hey!" Naruto exclaimed. "I'm just making suggestions!"

"Why don't we train with Nodoka's team?" Shikamaru asked. "They're pretty mellow."

"Well," Naruto began, "Kentaro has some anger issues but other than that, they are. Let's go." He nodded and looked around, wanting to ask if Shikamaru knew where they trained but not wanting to incite his annoyance again. Naruto had a feeling that if he pushed him, Shikamaru would probably go off. Naruto didn't want that. However, he didn't know where Team Six was training.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and spoke. "They train at field seventeen." Naruto looked at him.

"Seriously?" At Shikamaru's nod, the blond groaned. "That's ridiculous. Let's move then." Naruto motioned Shikamaru forward and began walking after his brunette teammate. At the leisurely pace they were taking, it took almost an hour for them to reach training field seventeen. It resided at the opposite side of the village from the academy, resting on the outskirts of the village. It was rumored to be lined with explosives but obviously since a team was actually training there, that was simply a pathetic rumor. When they arrived at field seventeen, Team Six was hard at work. Naruto tucked his hands into his pockets and watched his fellow blond as she attacked her teammates with fervor, using a variety of academy and Genin level ninjutsu and her teammates were retaliating in kind.

Naruto glanced at Shikamaru who was also watching them, a look of concentration on his face. Naruto smirked and looked back to Team Six in time to see their sensei cut in between the trio. He began speaking but from the distance away that Naruto was, he couldn't hear him. Naruto watched for a few more seconds and nudged Shikamaru. They made eye contact and shared a nod. With a sigh, Naruto stepped carefully into the training field.

"Nodoka-Chan," Naruto called out, waving when the female in question looked over at him. She waved back and said something to her sensei before running over.

"Naruto-Kun," she greeted. She looked at Shikamaru and nodded before looking back to Naruto. "What's up? Don't you have training to do?" she asked, laughing at the end last question. Naruto raised a brow and Nodoka shook her head.

"We," Naruto stated firmly, "were wondering if we would be able to join in on your training for a few days. Trust me when I say my sense isn't exactly the best person to ask for physical training. He focuses more on…" Naruto paused and bit his lip, trying to think of how to phrase what Kakashi had them working on.

"Teamwork," Shikamaru grumbled. "Chores and teamwork. It's good, I guess." He shrugged and looked away.

"Teamwork, pretty much," Naruto murmured. "May I speak to your sensei, Nodoka-Chan?" The blond nodded and took one of Naruto's elbows and one Shikamaru's elbows and lead them over to where her team was.

"Abarai-Sensei," Nodoka said, "Naruto-Kun and Nara-Kun have a question for you."

Naruto pulled his elbow away from Nodoka and stood up straight, looking Abarai Kino in the eye. "May we train with your team, Abarai-San? For a few days at least?"

Abarai stared down at them for a few minutes of silence. Naruto maintained eye contact with the tall man with the green eyes, not looking away until the man laughed a deep belly laugh. He clapped Naruto on the shoulder. "Yes!" he said emphatically, looking at the blond and his teammate. "Welcome to Team Six for a week!"

Their training was relatively easy. It was a bit more advanced than what they had been doing in the academy for sure but Naruto found it simple. Not to say it wasn't helpful, because it was, he just imagined training being a lot more difficult than what they were doing. Abarai had Kentaro and Naruto spar at the beginning of each day's training session and they would move into practicing their clone jutsu. Naruto had no improvement in that area. He couldn't clone for shit and he knew that. His clones lasted barely a couple of minutes and were weak and easily taken out faster than the amount of time they could last. After that, Abarai had Nodoka and Kai spar and they would meditate afterward for an hour. The goal, Abarai said, was to connect with their inner chakra which would make their chakra control eons better. Following that, Kai and Shikamaru would spar and then there would be a group spar and the last person standing got to sit out during the fight against Abarai. Naruto won on the second day but Kentaro seemed to be the reigning champion. Abarai would occasionally step in to give pointers and do demonstrations but he mostly stood off to the side to observe quietly.

A week flew by quickly. It seemed like only a day had passed for Naruto. However, on the Monday following the week of training he and Shikamaru had done with Team Six, it wasn't to be. He had talked it over with Shikamaru and they agreed that they should train for the next week alone and work on what Abarai had suggested. For Shikamaru, it was his stamina. For Naruto, it was his clone jutsu.

Clone Jutsu? Naruto ate breakfast and pondered over how, exactly, he would improve his clone jutsu. After breakfast, Naruto found himself at the academy. He didn't remember walking there and he didn't remember even thinking of the school. He was relieved, though, because Iruka and Mizuki were good teachers and one of them would know how to improve his jutsu. Naruto slipped into the building and quietly made his way to his old classroom. The door was open but Naruto knocked anyway.

"Enter," came Mizuki's voice. Naruto sighed and stepped inside the room, not surprised when Mizuki's face turned disgusted at the sight of him. Naruto frowned. "Yes?" Mizuki asked, his voice tight. Naruto looked around the empty room, gathering his thoughts.

"Mizuki-Sensei," Naruto said, looking to the white haired man. He narrowed his eyes at the man's glare. "I was wondering if you knew of a way to improve my clone jutsu."

Without missing a beat, Mizuki said, "No. Now leave." Naruto glared and turned, stomping out of the room. Once out of the room, Naruto slumped his shoulders and dipped his mouth behind his headband. He stared at the floor and began walking slowly down the empty halls of the academy. They would be empty until August, save for the few teachers that showed up over the summer. Naruto bit his cheek thoughtfully. Who else would be able to help him? Iruka? No. Naruto immediately discarded that thought. He didn't know where his teacher was and he wasn't in the mood to go searching for him. That was more effort than it was worth. Kakashi? No. Kakashi was always missing when Team Seven needed him so why would he be around then?

Naruto slowly trudged out of the school, trying to figure out who could help him. Not Abarai, he was the one who told him to seek help. Not Sai, he hadn't seen Sai since Kakashi gave them two weeks off. Naruto scowled at the ground as he wandered through the village. Who, then? Naruto huffed and stared at the ground. He could just try and make clones until he passed out but that was dangerously unhealthy. The blond stopped walking and tipped his head back, staring up at the sky. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Hokage monument and something clicked. Who better to ask than the Hokage?

With someone in mind for help, Naruto set off toward the Hokage Tower. At the very least, maybe the old man would let him use the library in the tower. The thirty minute walk to the Hokage tower went quickly and Naruto only had to wait for the Hokage's secretary to send him in. The blond only had to wait fifteen minutes before he could go in.

"Good morning, Naruto," the Hokage greeted. "What can I do for you today?"

Naruto looked at the old man with his gentle grin and soft demeanor and sighed. He was a nice man, right? If anyone would understand, it was going to be Lord Hokage.

"Do you think you have any books or something to help me improve my clone jutsu?" Naruto asked quietly, his mouth tucked behind his head band. Lord Hokage stared at him for a moment with a confused look on his face before he nodded slowly in understanding.

"I think we just might. Hold on just a moment." Naruto watched the old man pull out a slip of paper and he began scribbling on it. Naruto was confused when he stamped his official seal on the bottom of the paper. He offered the paper out to Naruto who took it hesitantly. "Go down to the third floor library. Go into the library, but please don't go into the first door on the right, okay?" Naruto nodded. "I hope you find what you're looking for." Naruto bowed and thanked his leader before he backed out of the room.

He quickly made his way to the library and glanced once at the first door on the right in the library before he continued on into the depths of the Hokage Tower library. Naruto was there for almost three hours reading up on the clone jutsu and taking notes. He left after those three hours and went to one of the more obscure training fields and practiced what he learned. That was how he spent most of his time for the second and final week off. It was on that last Friday that Naruto's curiosity got the best of him.

"It can't hurt," the blond mumbled to himself as he entered the library. He looked around and made sure no one was watching him as he slipped into the door he was explicitly forbidden from going into. The blond shut and locked the door behind him and turned on the light, surprised by all the scrolls there. He perused them before he found one that looked helpful. He checked it for traps and seals and cracked it open. The first thing it said was '_This is the official copy of the Scroll of Seals._' Naruto raised his brows and began reading, losing track of the time in the small room.

The next time Naruto was aware was when he heard his name being called on the other side of the door. He winced quietly and rolled up the scroll, setting it down. He spent about three hours reading up something called the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Naruto had taken notes and those notes were folded into a small square tucked in the cloth behind the metal plate of his headband. He waited until the library sounded empty, shut off the light to the little room, and snuck out. He made his way to the jutsu section of the library and pulled out the books he had been working with earlier in the week. He was there for about an hour before a pair of Chuunin appeared at his sides, both looking relieved.

"Naruto!" the female shouted at him while the other merely shook his head. "Where have you been! We've been looking all over for you. Hokage-Sama has been worried!"

"I was in the bathroom a few minutes ago…" Naruto said uncertainly, looking at the woman who glared at him nastily.

"Hmph. Fine. It's time for you to leave; the library is closing." Naruto scowled and began putting his books away. A few minutes later, he was escorted out of the tower by the two Chuunin. Naruto huffed and made his way to the training field he had been using the past week.

Team Seven's two week break ended quickly and Naruto found himself back at the academy outside the mission room by himself. Either he was early or he had missed something. Naruto glanced up at the clock across the hall and confirmed that he was early. It was barely seven thirty; they usually didn't meet at the mission room until eight. The blond sighed and drew his knees to his chest, tucking his mouth behind his headband. He closed his eyes and let himself fall into a dreamless, nightmare less sleep.

He was being kicked awake thirty minutes later and Naruto looked up, not surprised to see Sasuke glaring down at him. Kakashi and Shikamaru stood slightly behind Sasuke.

"Holy shit," Naruto cursed, "Sensei is here on time." Kakashi smiled although Naruto got the feeling that it was forced. He pushed himself up and followed his teammates into the mission room.

"Welcome, Team Seven," Lord Hokage greeted cheerfully with a warm smile on his face. He glanced down at a sheet of paper that was on the desk in front of him. "Welcome, welcome. Let's see. Ah, we have a C Rank mission available right now." He looked up at Kakashi. "Do you think your team is ready for something like this?" Naruto looked at Kakashi with a glare on his face. He noticed that Sasuke and Shikamaru wore similar glares. Kakashi glanced at the boys and looked back to the Hokage who smiled.

"Sure, why not?" he said. "They're not kids anymore, right?" Kakashi chuckled to himself and the Hokage nodded, looking down at the paper.

"You will be escorting Mizukuni Tazuna to Mizugakure to finish building a bridge he's been working on for about a year. Your mission will be to guard him to Mizu and guard him until he completes the bridge. The mission is estimated to take anywhere from four to six weeks." Naruto merely blinked and Shikamaru sighed loudly while Sasuke folded his arm across his chest and smirked. The room was quiet for a minute before the Hokage continued speaking. "If there are no objections, meet Tazuna-Kun."

Naruto looked around when a door slid open and he raised his brows at the older man leaning against the door. He looked a little younger than the Sandaime Hokage and he looked a whole lot meaner. Naruto glared at him and looked away, already not liking the man.

"Wh_a_t?" the man whined, drawing out the vowel dramatically. Naruto ground his teeth together in anger. "You're sending th-these _kids_," he hiccupped, "these kids to protect m-m_e_? They're so… Tin_y_." Naruto twitched and glared over at the man harshly. "And the blond looks like a baby."

"Excuse me?" Naruto growled out quietly. Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and spoke.

"Mizukuni-San," he said lightly, "don't underestimate our team. We work very well together. Including the blond." Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever," the blond grumbled.

"Well," Tazuna drawled. "If you say so, Hatake-San."

"Oh, I do," Kakashi said cheerfully. "Alright team, go pack for this mission and meet at the village gates in two hours. Mizukuni-San, feel free to do whatever you like until then, but be there or you won't have a team to go with you." Tazuna grumbled something and Kakashi took that as agreement, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Naruto slumped his shoulders and glared at Tazuna.

"Don't get killed," the blond grumbled.

"Is that a," Tazuna hiccupped, "a threat?"

"Maybe," he snipped. "Sasuke, Shikamaru. I'll see you in a bit." Naruto waved to his team and walked out of the room. Sasuke glanced at Shikamaru and the duo followed after the blond. The Sandaime watched them go and laughed, bidding Tazuna farewell as well. He crossed off the mission from the list and began compiling a scroll for Kakashi to take with him. Hopefully the mission would end well.


	8. Side Chapter: A Mission For A Mission!

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light and Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Side chapter! This is the chapter about how Kakashi spent his "two week break". Yes, it did not end up as a break. Sorry this chapter is a little late. Please forgive me! If you have any questions, please submit them via review or private message.

**Chapter Terminology: **_Geta_: a style of shoe that are both clogs and flip-flops. They have two chunks of wood (teeth) on the soles that are like heels on a high heeled shoe. Depending on the type of geta, these teeth will vary in height. They have a thong of cloth on the top that goes between the big toe and the second toe, like flip-flops. Jiraiya of the Sanin wears geta.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Two weeks off. Kakashi figured that was enough for those three brats he called students to calm down. Until then, he had a mission to find a mission. It was almost funny except for the fact that if he didn't find a 'proper' mission, the boys of Team Seven would do nothing but bitch and moan about not being children. Not children? Kakashi would find them a mission that would show them otherwise. He had decided on giving them two weeks off partly for himself. He guessed that it would take three or four days for him to decide on a mission for his team. As for the other days, there were few things he enjoyed more than following around his team and seeing how they interacted without knowing they were being supervised. It gave him a sense of how they would interact on real missions out in the world, so it technically wasn't stalking.

The silver haired Jounin shook his head and drew himself away from his thoughts. It was no use thinking about the future if he couldn't get the present task out of the way. At the moment, Kakashi found himself in the side room of the mission room at the academy. Missions that still needed filled but had fallen inactive were there as well as missions no one wanted to do. Kakashi was sure if he looked around enough he would find old B and A ranks that, when assigned, were too much for the teams. He scoffed and approached a wall piled to the ceiling with mission scrolls. With a sigh, Kakashi reached out and grabbed a scroll. He broke the seal and unraveled it, not caring that he probably shouldn't have opened a sealed mission scroll.

His lone eye skimmed back and forth rapidly over the details and he sighed. His team was _definitely _not ready for an A rank. He tossed it behind him and reached out for another scroll, unraveling it. He read the details and tossed it over his shoulder. He was sure a Chuunin would clean up after him. Kakashi continued going through scrolls. Behind him, the mission scrolls were slowly piling up and in front of him, he didn't seem to be making a dent in the scrolls.

"How many missions do people reject..?" Kakashi asked himself, glancing over his shoulder at the pile of missions that seemed miniature compared to the ones he hadn't gone through. He was right in giving his team two weeks off. This was going to take more than a few days. The Jounin sighed in annoyance and waded his way through scrolls to the door. He slipped out and looked around the darkened mission room. Had he been inside that long? A glance outside told him that yes, he had been gone that long. Kakashi put a hand to the side of his head and sighed, trying to think of someone who could help him sort through missions. Immediately, he crossed off Gai and the academy teachers. They were all too much for his tastes. The Jounin with Genin teams were crossed off as well; they didn't have the time he did. That still left about a dozen people Kakashi actually knew, and only half of those people were tolerable. Anko and Ibiki were immediate no's as well as Natsumi. The former were on the same level of obnoxious as Gai and Natsumi was too hormonal for Kakashi to deal with.

The Jounin made his way to one of the room's windows, going over the few people left in his mind. He slid the window open and stepped onto the window sill. There was still Yamanaka Inoichi. Kakashi looked around the darkened village. If Inoichi wasn't asleep, he would probably agree to help Kakashi. After all, who knew children better than the father of Yamanaka Ino?

Kakashi propelled himself off of the window sill and onto the nearest building's roof. He cocked his head to the side to listen for a moment before setting off silently across the village roofs. His visible eye was focused ahead of him while he kept his other senses alert in case of an attack or a ninja with a mission for him. He highly doubted the latter but it was always an option. With his dark clothes, Kakashi only stood out because of his hair colour and even then he was a blur so anyone watching would likely not see anything.

The run to Inoichi's house took about fifteen minutes that Kakashi hadn't really wanted to waste. However, he knew that going through those missions by himself was impossible, especially considering who he was doing a search for. Kakashi dropped down in front of Inoichi's house with a quiet clap of his shoes on cement. There was a light on downstairs. Kakashi stared at the window the light came from for a moment before he walked up to the door and knocked twice. He didn't bother trying the door; Inoichi was a very protective man. He took all kinds of measures to make sure his wife and daughter were safe. Kakashi only waited ten seconds before the door was opened, revealing the man in question.

"Kakashi-Kun?" Inoichi grumbled, opening the door wider for the Jounin.

"Evening, Inoichi," Kakashi greeted, not stepping inside the offered door. Inoichi looked at him curiously and sighed stepping out. Kakashi took a step back and Inoichi shut the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Inoichi asked, looking around as if expecting a small army of ninja to appear. Kakashi also glanced around before replying.

"Nothing much," he said lightly. "I was wondering if you would help me with something."

Inoichi raised a brow. "What something, Kakashi-Kun?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. His brow stayed raised as he stared at the younger man.

"Just a project," Kakashi said lightly, tilting his head to the right. His mask wrinkled in some semblance to a smile that slowly faded away the longer Inoichi stared at him. "I'm going through old missions, trying to find one for my team."

Instead of a yes or no like Kakashi had been expecting, Inoichi laughed loudly, shaking his head. He leaned forward and looked down to meet Kakashi's eye. "Why do you need my help?" he asked firmly, an amused smile playing about his mouth. Kakashi glared back. "Kakashi-Kun," Inoichi said.

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Ino is your daughter, Inoichi. It makes sense that you'd know what missions kids want." He glared at the older blond who only stared back.

"Why? Who do you have on your team?" Inoichi demanded, leaning back. Kakashi exhaled dramatically.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Naruto," Kakashi stated dryly. He was surprised Inoichi didn't know. He knew how much Ino liked Sasuke, so the fact that she hadn't immediately run home to whine to her father about it was confusing. It was that or Asuma was really cracking down with Ino and Sakura.

"Kami, I see your problem," Inoichi responded, drawing Kakashi out of his thoughts. Kakashi laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. It wasn't hard to remember the glare Naruto had been giving him earlier in the day. Inoichi reached out and clapped Kakashi on the shoulder. "Yes, I'll help you Kakashi-Kun. Let me grab my coat." He withdrew his hand and turned, opening the front door to the Yamanaka house. About two minutes later, Inoichi returned with his coat and was tapping on his geta. At Kakashi's look, he snapped defensively, "Mako bought them for my birthday! She would kill me if I didn't wear them."

"I didn't say anything," Kakashi replied, his tone mirthful. He rolled his eye at Inoichi's glare. "Let's go," he stated, fervently ignoring the glare his older companion was giving him. Without another word, Kakashi jumped onto the roof across from the Yamanaka house hold and took off. The steady clack-clack behind him assured him Inoichi was following. His mask crinkled in another smile at the thought of Inoichi in geta. It wasn't bad but geta weren't the man's style. That was all Kakashi knew. The trip back to the academy was quick and the window was still open from Kakashi's departure forty-five minutes earlier. That told him that either no one was there to do security or someone had seen him go and suspected he'd return. He was glad either way.

Kakashi led Inoichi into the scroll room and pulled the little string from the light in the ceiling, lighting up the room. He sighed at the sight of the mayhem he had created in a few short hours. He glanced over his shoulder and had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing aloud at the expression on Yamanaka Inoichi's face. The man looked absolutely appalled. That probably came from living with Mako, his obsessive-compulsive wife. Kakashi shook his head and swallowed. Once his control was regained, he motioned to the room.

"Welcome," he said. "Isn't this exciting?" Inoichi glared and shucked off his coat. He hung it from the door knob and turned fully to face the disaster room. He wrinkled his nose and stepped over the pile of scrolls by the door.

"Have you gone through these ones?" Inoichi asked, motioning to the pile by the door. At Kakashi's nod, Inoichi tutted. "Tomorrow we'll need to get a Chuunin in here to help organize these damn scrolls. Why do they have so many?" Inoichi huffed and shook his head. "Okay, you pick up where you left off and I'll start wherever you're not." Kakashi nodded and walked to the far right wall that was still mostly covered in mission scrolls and set to work.

Inoichi watched him for a moment to see how he was working and sighed. "We're going to need to read aloud some missions. That's why you asked me for help, isn't it?" Kakashi looked up, surprised.

"Aa," he replied. "Well… We'll set aside missions we find interesting and every hour we'll take a break to go through the scrolls."

"Fine," Inoichi answered, walking to the far left wall. He was grateful for his geta in that moment because they helped him reach the top level of scrolls. He unraveled a scroll and began reading. Almost immediately, he vetoed it. No Genin team, no matter how skilled or what clan the members came from, needed to do an A rank mission without a squad of ANBU at their back and even then, that was iffy. The blond shook his head and rolled up the scroll, tossing it onto the pile of scrolls behind him. He reached for the next one.

An hour passed and about ten scrolls were vetoed. An hour became two and then three until Inoichi demanded a longer break. They took a two hour break and fought their way out of the scroll room. Outside was cooler than the stuffy room they had spent three hours in and the sun was just peaking up over the mountains. The duo stood in the mission room to stare out at the sunrise. It was Inoichi who drew them out of their reverie.

"Kakashi-Kun," he spoke, looking at the other Jounin. Kakashi looked over lazily with his brow raised in question. "Let's go eat somewhere."

"Inoichi," Kakashi said flatly. "It's four in the morning."

"And?" Inoichi drawled, grabbing the younger man's forearm. "Maki's is a twenty-four/seven restaurant. Let's go." Their visit to Maki's was calm and relaxed. They didn't eat too fast and actually took the time to converse. Their down time seemed to end too quickly, though, and they were back at the academy faster than either man should have liked.

Even with the occasional breaks to sleep, eat, and use the toilet and shower, the four days Kakashi and Inoichi were holed up in the mission room's side room seemed to last much too long. In the end, though, Kakashi was glad he had enlisted Inoichi's help. It was Inoichi who had found the mission for him, after all.

"Maa, Kakashi-Kun," Inoichi called out. Day four was nearing its noon and Kakashi was getting a bit peeved. He was at the point where he would rather get death glares from his blond student and complaints from the Nara heir and the cold shoulder from Sasuke. Why did he even bother? He couldn't remember. He hadn't signed up for this at all. When he dropped down to Jounin status, Kakashi had envisioned more time off to read Icha Icha and missions that weren't necessarily life or death unless the team he was on was made up of idiots. Digging through old, inactive, and/or too dangerous mission scrolls was not something he had honestly envisioned. So when Inoichi called out to him, Kakashi was relieved. He looked over his shoulder at the man and his geta. "This one is a C Rank escort mission from Mizu." Kakashi's brow rose. Mizu? There wasn't a lot from Mizugakure, which Kakashi had found rather odd. "It seems easy. Mizukuni Tazuna has requested a Genin or Chuunin squad to escort him to Mizu and protect him from small time bandits that have been trying to prevent his bridge from being built." Kakashi's eye narrowed. That didn't sound right. Mizu didn't have small time bandits. Either there were big time bandits with names or none at all. "Huh. I didn't know Mizu was building a bridge. Did you, Kakashi-Kun?"

"No," Kakashi said quietly, his eye fixated on the scroll in Inoichi's hands. "How old is that mission?" he asked.

Inoichi skimmed the scroll. "About six months. Hokage-Sama will have to update the information but most of it seems accurate. Would Mizukuni-San even still be in town?" Inoichi frowned at the scroll and looked up in alarm when Kakashi snatched the scroll out of his hands. With expert fingers, Kakashi had the scroll rolled up and in his weapons pouch faster than Inoichi could track with his eyes. "Kakashi-Kun?"

"Thank you for helping, Inoichi," Kakashi said, his tone distant. "I'll send a Chuunin in to clean up. Excuse me." With that, Kakashi vanished, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and a bemused Inoichi.

[ X x X ]

Kakashi slammed his hand down on the table top, smiling coldly down at the man sipping sake like an angry Jounin hadn't just hit his table. Kakashi's smile quickly fell away and he glared at the old man. Lord Hokage had confirmed Tazuna's presence in Konoha but couldn't say exactly where the old man resided. So, instead of watching over his team from badly placed genjutsu or trees, Kakashi had spent a week tracking down the man named Mizukuni Tazuna. Needless to say, it grated on the Jounin's nerves. What didn't help was the man's rude behaviour. He acted like Kakashi wasn't standing there oozing killer intent.

"Mizukuni Tazuna," Kakashi stated. The man peered up at Kakashi, flicking his hat up and his glasses down to get a good look at the angry Jounin. "You have wasted my entire week."

"Yeah?" the man slurred. "Well y-you nin-ninja have wasted six months of bridge building!" Kakashi stared at him as his brain took a moment to register what he was saying. It was barely noon and the man was already drunk. Kakashi withdrew his hand from Tazuna's table and stared at the man coldly. "What? Ya ain't got anything more," he hiccupped, "to say?"

Kakashi rolled his eye. "If you're not at the academy mission room tomorrow at seven am, your mission request is officially off the books and all records of it will be destroyed." The crinkling of his mask indicating a smile seemed contradictory due to his icy tone. He leaned down to Tazuna's eye level. "Understood?" he snapped.

"Yeah, yeah," Tazuna replied in a slur. "Whatever you say, ninja boy." Kakashi stared at the man firmly for a minute before vanishing in a puff of smoke. If Tazuna wasn't there at seven the next morning, Kakashi would know and Kakashi would keep to his word. In the meantime, he had a Yamanaka to repay for his assistance.


	9. C Rank Qualifications

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** No side chapter. This is the first chapter for the Mizu!Arc. _Monday Edit_: Edited a few errors I spotted that just freaking irked me.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Two hours had passed. Time was up and Team Seven plus Tazuna were checking out of Konoha with the Chuunin guarding the gates. Between the three preteens that made up Team Seven, there was a slight buzz in the air. It was the buzz of their first mission and they were all excited. It didn't show; Sasuke's face was blank as he stared forward, Shikamaru looked bored out of his mind, and Naruto was just staring into space. The buzz was there, however.

Kakashi took the lead, his nose in a book as he lead the other four males down the wide path out of Konoha. Their small group was quiet, which was a good thing. It meant that it would be easier for them to hear anything; if there was an animal or another person, any one of the four ninja's senses would pick it up easier than if they were chattering.

When Kakashi had agreed to give them the mission, Naruto was quite surprised. He hadn't expected Kakashi to give them anything higher than a D Rank for a while. The man seemed sadistic that way. So when he had agreed, part of Naruto wondered what the catch was while the rest of him didn't care. It was a mission. A real mission. The blond had rushed home and packed up and killed some time at Maki's restaurant before he went to the gates of Konohagakure. He and Shikamaru had been the first there, Shikamaru having walked up at the same time Naruto did. They waited together for their other three companions. Naruto had suspected something was up when Kakashi showed up with Sasuke and Tazuna; after two months, why was Kakashi on time for something? However, Naruto didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The forest was quiet. All around Team Seven plus one was quiet. Naruto cocked his head to the side, listening for an animal or something. He had to stretch his hearing out a few hundred yards to hear anything and the bird he heard seemed farther away still –its voice had simply carried. The quiet put Naruto on edge. He wasn't used to it being as quiet as it was. Even in the quieter parts of Konoha, birds still conversed and woodland animals could be heard scurrying around.

Naruto glanced around, watching and listening for anything. "Why is it so quiet?" he asked lowly, looking to his team for answers. Shikamaru stopped, causing Naruto to bump into him and stop himself. The brunette tilted his head to the side, a frown marring his face. Naruto peered around to look at his teammate and longtime friend. Yes, something was definitely off. "Sensei," Naruto called out. Kakashi halted and looked lazily over his shoulder, his eye narrowing at the looks on Naruto and Shikamaru's face.

"Naruto, Naruto!" Kakashi said cheerfully, smiling. "Nothing is wrong!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Kakashi and looked around, his eyes briefly resting on the sky's reflection in a set of water puddles. Had it rained recently…? Naruto shook his head; if it hadn't, why were there puddles? The blond surveyed the area once again and nudged Shikamaru forward. They had to jog a little to catch up to the other three who had moved on at Kakashi's cheerful words. There was definitely something wrong; the look in Kakashi's eye when Naruto called out to him was enough for both Naruto and Shikamaru to be on edge.

Time seemed to pass slowly after that. Naruto noticed puddles dotting the path here and there and tried to convince himself that it had rained and he just hadn't noticed. Something nagged at his mind, though. Not wanting to slow up the mission for something as silly as water, Naruto kept it to himself and kept up with his team. With the steady pace they were walking, they would reach Mizugakure in less than a week. Naruto definitely didn't want to slow that up; Mizu was kind of far from Konoha. Still… maybe it would be worth it.

"Oi, Naruto." The blond looked up, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. His eyes found Sasuke who was a little ways away from him. "Don't tell me you're getting tired. You're not going to hold us back on travel time because you're tired."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha in offense. Really? _Do I look tired_? The blond thought to himself. What a prick. Sasuke glared at him and Naruto huffed, moving quickly to catch up to the rest of their little group. "And if I am getting tired?" Naruto snapped icily at the Uchiha. Sasuke sneered at him.

"Now, now," Kakashi interrupted, smiling at them. "Don't fight. Naruto, we can take a quick break if you need to."

"I need a break!" Tazuna chimed in. "I'm old. Old men don't walk for two hours without breaks, dammit!"

Sasuke gave Naruto a glare and shrugged off his backpack. Naruto stared at Sasuke as he crouched down and pulled out a granola bar from his pack. Shaking his head, Naruto took off his bag and pulled out his own granola bar and some water. He unwrapped the bar and glanced around, noting the two puddles of water a few feet away. He glanced behind them, confused by the absence of puddles. He shook it off and sat down, taking a bite from his granola bar. He looked up to see if Kakashi or Shikamaru noticed anything wrong and got to witness his sensei being sliced into bits.

It took the blond a moment to really register the sight of Hatake Kakashi getting blades and chains dragged through his body and chopping him into small pieces. When he fully registered it, he was on his feet in seconds. His granola and his water lay on the ground, forgotten, in favour of focusing on the two ninja that stood behind Kakashi's decimated body. They wore what looked like full body armor and masks covering their faces and mouths. They had cuffs on their hands that seemed to be where the chains and blades originated from. There was silence between the remaining ninja and Tazuna.

Sasuke moved first, drawing a kunai. He jumped at the two ninja and began attacking. Naruto glanced at Shikamaru and they shared a minute nod. The brunette dashed to Tazuna's side and drew a kunai, taking a stance in front of the old man. Naruto made sure Shikamaru was in position and he drew his own kunai, jumping over to Sasuke's side. The Uchiha seemed to have it covered; he was easily combatting the two ninja. Naruto ducked into the fight anyway and the two men they were fighting seemed to kick it up a notch.

The man with cropped hair swiped at Naruto who barely managed to dodge the blade and counter with a kick. The man caught Naruto's ankle and twisted it. Naruto winced and brought up his other foot to free his captive ankle. The man dropped his ankle and Naruto lashed out with his kunai, aiming at the man's gut. The man's eyes squeezed shut when the kunai made contact and the blond forcefully ripped it out, confused when he was jumped over.

Naruto didn't hesitate. He was on his feet in less than a second and he ran after the man, jumping into the air. He used the man's shoulders for leverage and pushed off of him, flipping so he was in front of Shikamaru and Tazuna. The man glared and shot a chain out of his large cuff. The blade on the edge clipped Naruto's shoulder but went no further. Naruto caught the chain at the base of the blade and he yanked it toward himself, pulling the ninja straight into his other hand which was balled into a fist. The man's nose hit Naruto's fist and the blond pushed the man back. He stumbled back a few feet and paused to regain his footing. Naruto stared at the man fiercely, surprised when the man was at his throat.

Shikamaru yelled Naruto's name but there wasn't much Naruto could do as the man's hand tightened around his throat. The blond's headband was pushed up, covering his mouth uncomfortably, not helping the air flow to his lungs. The air was slowly slipping from Naruto's mouth. Naruto released the man's chain and brought both of his hands up to fight with the hand around his throat. The man's grip was too strong, though.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru shouted. "Fuck! Sasuke!" Naruto wondered, briefly, if Sasuke was in a bad position too or if the Uchiha was just enjoying watching Naruto being strangled. He doubted he would get an answer. The blond gave one last ditch effort of getting the strange ninja to release his neck by digging his nails into the man's chubby fingers. To his surprise, the grip around his neck was suddenly lost.

Naruto dropped to his knees and hunched over, coughing harshly onto the ground as he gasped for breath. He tenderly touched his neck under his headband as he coughed, wondering what had caused the ninja to let go. He peered through his lashes above him, confusion washing over him at the sight of his sensei. Did he only imagine Kakashi get shredded to bits? Naruto's gaze fell over to where Kakashi's body had fallen only to see bits off wood. What the hell? Naruto watched Kakashi finish tying up the team's attackers and removed his gaze from them to the ground. His coughing wasn't as bad now and he could breathe without it hurting too badly. Naruto exhaled and leaned back on his heels, looking between his sensei and the remains of his substitution jutsu.

The blond jerked sharply when someone put their hand on his uncut shoulder and he looked over to Shikamaru who knelt beside him.

"You okay?" Shikamaru asked quietly. Naruto met his friend's hazel gaze and nodded, tearing his eyes away to watch Kakashi walk away from the two unconscious nin and straight to Mizukuni Tazuna. "Naruto," Shikamaru snapped, drawing Naruto's attention. "Let me see your shoulder." The blond shifted so Shikamaru could look at the cut on his shoulder and let his gaze wander to Tazuna and Kakashi. Tazuna was staring at the ground like a child and Kakashi's angry voice echoed around their small little area.

"Mizukuni Tazuna!" Kakashi hissed. "You should feel unending amounts of shame. I can't, for the life of me, imagine why these men would attack my team, a team of _twelve year old boys_, without provocation. I don't think Uzumaki Naruto has left the village and I certainly believe most of the Uchiha enemies lost all of their enemies with the massacre unless someone hated a seven year old that much. The Nara clan has done nothing but good things; so why should anyone be here to slaughter the Nara heir?" Naruto winced as Shikamaru began pinching and pulling at Naruto's shoulder wound. "You have deliberately withheld information from us, Tazuna."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto. "Stay here," the brunette ordered. Naruto nodded, his gaze still on Kakashi and Tazuna. The brunette left and Kakashi continued to hiss angry things at Tazuna. Naruto's brain was hazy and he stopped being able to hear Kakashi's words. His eyes blurred and he squeezed them shut, shaking his head. When he stopped shaking his head, he was able to hear again. When he opened his eyes, he could see again. The effects were coming back, blurring his vision and disorienting him, not to mention confusing him. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and opened them in time to see both Tazuna and Kakashi turn to look over Naruto's shoulder. The blond looked as well. Sasuke was on his knees and Shikamaru was holding his hand, looking intently at the bloody appendage. Naruto shook his head and saw Sasuke do the same.

"You," he heard Kakashi say. His voice sent chills down Naruto's spine. He wasn't yelling and he wasn't hissing. His voice was at a perfectly normal level but his tone was very angry. "You have needlessly put my squad in danger. These boys are poisoned, Tazuna. Do you understand what that means?" Naruto blinked. Poisoned? Is that what was going on in his head? His vision was mucky and he let his head drop so his mouth fell behind his headband. He closed his eyes and tried to listen to Kakashi. "What haven't you told us, Tazuna? Why are my boys poisoned? Who has a bounty on your head? Who did you piss off, Tazuna?"

Naruto coughed quietly into his headband and shook his head. "Nami no Gatou," Tazuna's voice rang out. Naruto knew that name should have some meaning to him but honestly, his brain was too hazy to really register anything but words. There was silence between the four males. Pure silence. The birds and other animals still hadn't come out and the wind wasn't blowing. Naruto couldn't hear anything except the ring of silence.

"Nami no Gatou," Kakashi's voice repeated. Naruto shook his head again and looked up at Kakashi. He couldn't see the man's eye which probably held more expression than he wanted Team Seven to see. There was a pause and Kakashi turned so Naruto could see his eye. "Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru," he said lightly, stepping away from Tazuna. He looked at Naruto firmly and Naruto blinked furiously, trying to clear his vision. Kakashi looked away and Naruto dropped his chin down again. "We do not have to continue this mission. We can go back, right now."

That didn't sound good at all. In fact, the idea repulsed Naruto. Sure, they had been lied to and he was poisoned but that didn't mean they should quit. Now, if one of them had died they would have no choice to quit. No one was dead, though, so no one should quit. Naruto grunted and leaned back, sitting up straight. He slowly and carefully pushed himself to his feet and he shook his head, looking up at Kakashi whose eye was wide in surprise. Naruto coughed and looked over to see Sasuke pushing himself up as well. Naruto didn't miss but chose to ignore the displeased look on Shikamaru's face.

"I'm not quitting," Sasuke snapped harshly. He looked over and Naruto met the Uchiha's dark gaze. Sasuke glared nastily at him and Naruto stared back. The blond rolled his eyes and shakily reached into his weapons pouch. He pulled out a kunai and tilted his head so it was resting on his right shoulder. He brought the kunai up to the cut in his shoulder and closed his eyes. His senses snapped to attention the second the blade of the kunai cut through the cut. Someone was at his side in seconds squeezing the cut. The blond opened his eyes and peered to the side at Shikamaru who pulled out a kunai of his own to usher the poison that was leaking out of the cut elsewhere.

Naruto watched the lavender coloured poison leak like water from the cut until blood started seeping out. Naruto sighed and rolled his shoulders experimentally. His vision was slowly coming back and his hearing had already returned to normal. Naruto closed his eyes and let Shikamaru bandage up his cut. Naruto looked at his shoulder, pleased that it was patched. The blond looked over to Sasuke who was being helped by Kakashi. It seemed Shikamaru made a choice and that choice ended with Kakashi being left with Sasuke. Well wasn't Naruto special. The blond snorted and shook his head at the questioning look he received from Shikamaru.

Sasuke was quickly patched up and he walked over to Naruto and Shikamaru. He and Naruto briefly made eye contact and the Uchiha looked away, walking over to his pack. He grabbed it and slid it on and Naruto and Shikamaru followed suit. Naruto grabbed his granola and water, taking a bite from his granola despite the fact that it had been lying on the ground. He didn't really mind, as long as it didn't have poison on it.

"Team Seven," Kakashi said, his tone light. "Welcome to your first A Rank mission. Be prepared to forfeit your life here. You might have to." Naruto looked at the man and opened his water, taking a long drink from it.

"It would be a pain if someone died," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Hn. Don't die, Uzumaki," Sasuke snapped. Naruto glared at the brunette on his right and looked to his granola. Screw the Uchiha. Naruto was actually content despite being poisoned; they were finally on a good mission. Genin on an A Rank –that would look pretty good on their records and that was all Naruto could ask for.

"Shut up," Naruto snapped. He looked over at Shikamaru and then to Kakashi. "Well?" he asked. "Mizu is waiting." He stepped forward and Kakashi smiled, turning. Tazuna ducked his head and trailed slowly after Kakashi who took the lead, the boys of Team Seven falling into formation around Tazuna. Something told Naruto that Kakashi had known something was up but hadn't known exactly what. At that point, though, Naruto couldn't bring himself to care. They had an A Rank mission.


	10. Mizugakure, What a Sight

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** No side chapter. This is part one of two off the first Zabuza fight. Part two will be posted next Sunday. Sorry if the ending is a cliché cliffhanger. I didn't know how else to end it. Enjoy. (Also, yes there is a reason for Zabuza's words to Kakashi. All will be revealed in time.)

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

It was quiet. The only sounds prevent silence were the sounds of five people breathing softly and the steady sound of a single oar pushing through the water. Team Seven and Tazuna had reached the edge of the Fire Country two days after being attacked. It had been a quiet two days; Sasuke didn't make any snarky comments, Shikamaru didn't complain, and Naruto keep his dry remarks to himself. The only conversation had been when Tazuna gave them directions to the boat that would take them to Mizugakure.

The lake was vast and there were no signs of land except for behind the boat. Naruto sighed and looked down at the water gliding smoothly around the boat. The water had a thin glossy layer but was white instead of blue due to the thick layer of mist that hovered just over the top of the water. His nails picked at the rim of the boat his arm rested on, tearing up tiny splinters of wood and tossing them into the lake below. His light coloured eyes rested on the small waves ghosting around the boat, wondering what creatures inhabited the lake. Naruto shook his head and looked over at his teammates. Kakashi was sitting at the head of the boat reading his book. Sasuke had his back to Naruto, facing the opposite side of the lake. Shikamaru looked about ready to keel over.

"Shikamaru," Naruto murmured softly. He noted Kakashi looking up and Sasuke tensing but ignored it. The brunette in question looked up at him and the blond simply patted his shoulder, earning him a grateful smile. Shikamaru slid across the wooden seat carefully and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. "I'll wake you when we see land." Shikamaru mumbled something and it was quiet again for a few seconds.

"Naruto," Kakashi called out, gaining the blond's attention. His voice dropped to a whisper, "Don't let him sleep too long. We can't afford the handicap." Naruto raised his brows and looked away, not acknowledging or ignoring Kakashi's comment. Handicap? Shikamaru worked better when he ran on sleep –Naruto would know. The blond sneered at the mist and didn't speak again, despite the sudden urge he felt to yell. He hated being forced into quiet. Although naturally a quiet person, Naruto did it because he wanted to, not because he was forced to be quiet. Naruto shook his head and shifted slightly, going back to staring at the lake. His fingers went back to picking up slivers and tossing them into the lake once more. It was a simple, monotonous gesture that passed the time on the boat quickly and efficiently.

What seemed like mere minutes later, the boat lightly bumped onto shore. Naruto sighed softly and nudged his brunette friend awake. Shikamaru mumbled incoherently for a few seconds before he jolted awake. Naruto stayed seated until everyone but him had exited the boat and he carefully clambered out. Naruto stretched himself out and listened with half an ear as Kakashi and the boat man exchanged some quiet words. Kakashi paid the man and Naruto sighed softly, tuning into their conversation.

"This is no-ninja country, sir," the boat man was saying. "Be stealthy. Gatou's men are constantly on the prowl." The man fell quiet as he began digging through his coat for something. He pulled out a small pendent on a chain. He pressed it into Kakashi's hand. "Take this. It is a good luck charm to ward off death. Farewell." Naruto stepped away from the boat and watched the man take his boat and wade out into the lake and jump into it. A frown marred Naruto's face as he watched the man go hurriedly but still quietly. He looked over to Kakashi.

"No-ninja country?" the blond hissed, shooting a glower at Tazuna who glared back. Naruto sighed. "Lovely. Just what I wanted. I've always wanted to be hated in a different country. I can cross that off my bucket list." Naruto glared when Tazuna went to say something and turned his head away pointedly. He placed his hands on his hips and looked between the other three males of their group with his brows raised. He was glad to see that Shikamaru was a little more alert than usual. The bit of sleep he got did him worlds of good.

Kakashi smiled at Naruto. "Let's go then," the older man said lightly. He turned and stood there for a moment before heading forward. Tazuna scuttled after the Jounin and the boys fell into formation around their charge. Kakashi took them down a path at a slow pace for which Naruto was grateful. He would have struggled if they had been going quicker –the mist around their five piece was ridiculously thick. He was bringing up the rear of their piece and could barely see Tazuna who was less than a foot away from him. Naruto ground his teeth together and glared at the man in front of him, trying to focus on the man and not the mist.

"Why." Naruto almost jumped at the sound of Sasuke's voice from his right. "Is it so misty?" Naruto rolled his eyes; did he not realize where they technically were? Secretly, though, Naruto wanted to know the answer. Mist wasn't naturally that thick at noon. It shouldn't have been, anyway. Maybe he was wrong and Mizugakure was just morbidly humid and affected the mist that was already there. Something in the pit of his gut, though, told Naruto that the mist shouldn't have been that thick. The last time his gut had twisted, the two puddles following their troupe turned out to be assassins. He was inclined to agree with his gut on this.

Tazuna, it seemed, was not inclined to agree with Naruto's gut. "Oh, it's always like this," the old man said. "Don't worry, it gets lighter the closer we reach my home." Naruto glared at him but refrained from saying anything. Instead, he looked around, attempting to see any sort of scenery. He felt like he was in a box of white. Mist his ass. This was fog. Naruto experimentally waved his hand back and forth in front of his face to clear up some of the fog. It did little to clear up his vision but did a lot to annoy him.

Naruto bit the inside of his mouth, the feeling in his gut tightening. His heart hammered against his chest and he knew instinctively that something was wrong. He didn't know what, though. In fact, he was almost tempted to stretch out his senses and see what was going on. However, that would cause him to slack on protecting the back of their piece and that was unacceptable. Maybe if he ignored it, the feeling would go away. It was like the nightmare he always had. If he distracted himself from it, it would leave him be. Naruto sighed quietly to himself and tucked his hands into his pants pockets, looking down at the dark cloth he wore. It wasn't ideal clothes for the Village of Waves but Naruto was loathe to abandon his normal clothes. He probably should have dressed appropriately.

Shaking these thoughts from his head, Naruto focused on the task at hand. Escorting Tazuna to his home. That was his first priority. Baby steps were always the easiest for Naruto to follow. They set goals for him. So he would focus on protecting Tazuna's back and getting them to the old man's house. He needn't focus on the feeling he had that they were in danger. That was what Kakashi was for and the boat man had said they were in no-ninja country. Naruto pulled his arms tight against his sides and stretched out his hearing, just in case. He wasn't an animal and, as such, didn't have naturally expanded senses. He tilted his head to the side at the sound of rustling but thought nothing of it. There was probably a stray animal running around out in the forest.

"Does Mizu have a forest?" Naruto asked aloud. "I can barely see anything."

"It _is_ getting pretty misty," Shikamaru muttered. Naruto wanted to snap that it was fog, not mist, but didn't get a chance. Kakashi's voice rang out firm and clear and Naruto hastened to obey his sensei's words. Naruto body slammed Tazuna to the ground, Kakashi's order to get down ringing in his ears. He bit his lip and stayed on top of the old man, pinning him to the ground. He sent out his hearing and closed his eyes, confused by the extra set of lungs he heard. Naruto snapped is hearing back in and opened his eyes, confused to see that the fog had reduced to mist once again. It was natural mist, not the force fog that they had been travelling through for however long they had been walking. Naruto peered through his lashes to find his sensei who was cautiously raising to his feet. Naruto made eye contact with Kakashi who blinked. Naruto took that as an okay and rolled off of Tazuna, rising very slowly to stand. He looked at Kakashi who had his eye narrowed at something behind him. That couldn't be good.

Naruto watched Kakashi's face, not paying any mind to Sasuke, Shikamaru, or Tazuna. Kakashi's face was all he needed to see at the moment. The man's eye stayed narrowed but Naruto noticed the thin line of his mouth beneath his mask. So, they were probably screwed. Naruto took a sharp breath and suddenly could barely stand. He clutched at his chest and took a gasping breath, confused by the looks he received from Shikamaru and Sasuke. Didn't they feel that pure killer intent?

"Hatake Kakashi," a new voice rang out. "Look at what you've been reduced to." The pressure increased and Naruto was almost satisfied to see his teammates look stressed and hunched over under the killer intent. "A Genin sensei? Is this what you've lowered yourself to?" Naruto took a deep breath and dropped to his knees in an attempt to breathe and relieve the pressure. The speaker cackled and almost instantly the pressure let up. Naruto took a deep breath but made no move to get up. "Your Genin are so pitiful, Kakashi. Do you see this? The little one can barely get up."

Naruto ground his teeth together and stood rather quickly. He and Kakashi briefly made eye contact and Naruto glanced over his shoulder almost lazily, his eyes narrowed. The first thing he noticed was a sword embedded into a tree. Then he noticed the man standing on the sword like it was normal. The man had half his face covered like their sensei but both his eyes were visible and sparkled in amusement. Naruto's gut twisted and he stared at the man. Why did he seem so familiar? There was some part of him that knew the man, he just couldn't place where. The man tipped his head to the side and Naruto got the impression that he was smirking at him. Not at the team, at him. What was he missing?

"Ah, Uzumaki Naruto," the man spoke. Revulsion flooded Naruto at the sound of his name on the man's lips. "The rumors have spread about you. I would _love_," he purred the word, "to see if they are true."

"Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi spoke. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" Naruto didn't look away from the man, Zabuza, despite the annoyance he felt at Kakashi's polite words and tone. Really? Naruto wanted to ask if he was insane and didn't he realize that a rogue ninja was towering over them leaking killer intent? Because he knew Zabuza. The rogue ninja of the Mist. The headband on his forehead had a slash through it. The man was dangerous and Kakashi was making polite conversation.

"Oh Kakashi," Zabuza said in a tone Naruto couldn't place. It wasn't a positive tone but there was something about it that put Naruto on edge. Zabuza moved then and it seemed he didn't want to exchange pleasantries with Hatake Kakashi after all. The man and his sword were gone in a flash and at Kakashi's throat in less than a heartbeat. Naruto watched with a carefully blank face as the two began to fight, Kakashi pushing the rogue away from the boys and Tazuna. Naruto watched for a few seconds longer and crouched down beside Tazuna.

"Ne, Tazuna-San," Naruto murmured, "can you stand?"

The old man grumbled. "You hit me hard, you damn brat." He mumbled something Naruto didn't catch and held out his hand. Naruto stood and helped the man up. Tazuna's standing position seemed to drag Shikamaru and Sasuke away from the fight going on nearer the lake that Team Seven had apparently been following. Sasuke sprinted to Tazuna's right and Shikamaru claimed his left side and the two boys fell into their personal taijutsu stances. Naruto remained in front of Tazuna and shifted his feet apart ever so slightly. He put his weight on his right leg which was a little more behind his left leg and thus his support leg. He shoved his hands in his pockets, however, and stood there, keeping his eyes on Zabuza and Kakashi while his other senses worked harder to keep up his guard.

Naruto's eyes struggled to keep up with the rapid moves of the two ninja before him. The way they fought was like they'd done it before. Naruto wanted to discard the idea, he really did, and he would have if his gut hadn't been telling him to keep the idea just in case. If it turned out to be a wrong hunch, Naruto would have to start ignoring his gut. Zabuza swiped at Kakashi who ducked and punched the rogue in his stomach, sending him flying back. The rogue did a few backwards summersaults across the dirt and well into the lake where he floated on his stomach for a few seconds. Naruto was surprised when all around the rogue, the water began to rise up and slowly take form of Momochi Zabuza.

"Water clones?" Shikamaru hissed from behind him. Naruto didn't glance at him but kept his gaze focused on the fight. He marveled at the clones' speed as the five that had formed mobbed Kakashi, attacking him as one coordinated unit. Naruto didn't realize what they had planned to do until it was too late for anyone to say anything. Kakashi was herded quickly and efficiently onto the lake top where Zabuza was crouched, his hands working quickly in a variety of hand signs. Naruto watched as Kakashi defeated the water clones and spun around to kick Zabuza in the head. The rogue caught Kakashi's kick easily and gave the Jounin a look.

"Water Prison Jutsu!" the rogue ninja yelled. Naruto's stomach dropped at the panic that briefly shot across Kakashi's face and could only watch as his sensei was enveloped in a sphere of water. Naruto swallowed and brought his hands out of his pockets to cover his face. His shoulders sagged and he winced at the sound of Zabuza's laughter. "Oh Kakashi," Zabuza said. Naruto lifted his head from his hands, wondering what the hell Zabuza could say to make the situation worse. "You were once a great comrade. What happened to you?" Naruto felt his blood run cold. Zabuza and Kakashi, comrades? As if sensing his distress, Zabuza looked over and laughed. The man's laugh sent chills of disgust down Naruto's spine. "What will you do, Genin? Your sensei is mine now. Any hope for you is gone." He laughed again. "What will you do?"

Naruto curled his hands into fists and his arms fell to his sides as he stood his full height, sneering at Zabuza defiantly. In truth, Naruto didn't know what they would do. They were probably very screwed. The question wasn't what would they do but what _could_ they do. Naruto looked over at Shikamaru who had brought his fingertips together in front of him, his eyes closed. On his opposite side, Sasuke was staring intently at the sky, his left index and middle fingers on his lips. They were probably screwed.


	11. In The Mist

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** There might be a side chapter. I apologize for this chapter's lateness and I promise I'll find some way to make it up to you! I won't bore you with details, just know I'm sorry. If you have any idea of how I can make it up to you guys for lateness via this story, just let me know.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

"Water Prison Jutsu!" the rogue ninja yelled. Naruto's stomach dropped at the panic that briefly shot across Kakashi's face and could only watch as his sensei was enveloped in a sphere of water. Naruto swallowed and brought his hands out of his pockets to cover his face. His shoulders sagged and he winced at the sound of Zabuza's laughter. "Oh Kakashi," Zabuza said. Naruto lifted his head from his hands, wondering what the hell Zabuza could say to make the situation worse. "You were once a great comrade. What happened to you?" Naruto felt his blood run cold. Zabuza and Kakashi, comrades? As if sensing his distress, Zabuza looked over and laughed. The man's laugh sent chills of disgust down Naruto's spine. "What will you do, Genin? Your sensei is mine now. Any hope for you is gone." He laughed again. "What will you do?"

Naruto curled his hands into fists and his arms fell to his sides as he stood his full height, sneering at Zabuza defiantly. In truth, Naruto didn't know what they would do. They were probably very screwed. The question wasn't what would they do but what _could_ they do. Naruto looked over at Shikamaru who had brought his fingertips together in front of him, his eyes closed. On his opposite side, Sasuke was staring intently at the sky, his left index and middle fingers on his lips. They were probably screwed.

They had few options. They could stay and fight and probably get their butts kicked. They could stay and actually make a plan that might work on the off chance that Zabuza let his guard down. Or they could leave their sensei in enemy hands and get Tazuna safe. By all rights and laws, Team Seven should have just left their sensei. Looking at his teammates, however, Naruto could tell that that wasn't going to be an option at all. Naruto bit down on his bottom lip as he stared at Zabuza and Kakashi. The former was grinning at them while the latter seemed frustrated. Naruto looked between the older men hovering on the lake, his eyes searching anywhere for a weakness. His eyes fell on Zabuza's hand which was connected at the wrist to Kakashi's prison, his fingers carding through the water. That could work.

As if Kakashi had sensed a plan had been formulated in Naruto's mind, the Jounin shouted, "Get out! Run! You can't fight him. Don't waste your strength." Zabuza snarled and punched Kakashi with the hand that was already in the prison. His arm retracted from the water quickly so it was just his wrist and hand once again. Naruto wanted to shout that he had a plan but he couldn't give them away. Instead, the blond stood there with a glare on his face while Sasuke ran at Zabuza. That was definitely not a part of Naruto's plan.

Sasuke yelled out and threw a kunai at Zabuza. Just before the kunai hit, a clone sprung up from the water in front of Zabuza and took the hit, shattering into water droplets. Sasuke growled and jumped back when another water clone sprung up from the water and jumped onto land, swinging it's sword at the Uchiha. Sasuke ducked and kicked its abdomen, flipping away from it as it burst into droplets like the first one did. Sasuke growled and threw himself at the next clone that stepped on land, going right through it. He went head first into the water.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi shouted. The Uchiha resurfaced, coughing up water. "Sasuke, what the hell are you doing? I told you to run! Get out! Your mission comes first! Leave!" Sasuke merely scoffed and dove underwater when another clone swung its sword at him.

Naruto bit his lip, staring at the spot where Sasuke had submerged himself. The clone stood over the spot smirking while its sword rested partway in the water. Where the hell was Sasuke? Naruto took a step forward, his eyes searching out the Uchiha. It took a few more seconds but Sasuke broke the surface a few feet away. He looked around and sneered at the clone whose smirk fell away. The clone ran at the Uchiha who went back underwater. Much to Naruto's surprise, the clone dove underwater as well. Judging by Kakashi's surprised yell, the Jounin didn't know that clones could do that. Kakashi's surprise lasted mere seconds and he was yelling at Naruto to get Shikamaru and Tazuna out.

The blond ignored his sensei and instead brought his hands up in front of him. He crossed his index and middle fingers in a plus sign across one another and closed his eyes. Beside him, a clone of himself appeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto relaxed and looked at the clone, nodding his head toward the water where Sasuke had last went under. The clone gave Naruto a look and ran off, diving into the lake. Naruto blocked out Kakashi's outraged shouts and focused on the water. Moment later, Sasuke and the clone broke surface and without any hesitation, the clone began dragging Sasuke out of the water. Naruto glared at the Uchiha as the two males stumbled onto shore.

"What did you think that would accomplish?" Naruto asked calmly when the clone and the Uchiha reached them. The clone spun around and took a defensive position in front of Sasuke, his eyes on Zabuza and Kakashi. Sasuke glared at Naruto, disgust on his face. "Sasuke," Naruto said firmly, grabbing Sasuke's elbow. He jerked the older brunette over to Shikamaru and touched his friend's wrist gently. Shikamaru jumped and opened one eye, gazing at his two teammates. Naruto looked between Sasuke and Shikamaru and lowered his voice so the two dark haired Genin had to lean in. "Look, I have a plan." Naruto arched a brow at Sasuke's snort.

"You, a plan?" Sasuke muttered, his tone tinged with amusement. Naruto stared at him until Sasuke looked down. "Whatever."

"Shikamaru, you will be the distraction. Our goal is to get Kakashi-Sensei out of the prison, not fight Zabuza. Since Shikamaru is the least likely of us to go attack them, I want Shikamaru to fight the clones Zabuza will undoubtedly send out. While they're distracted, I will create another clone that will become a fūma shuriken. Sasuke, you're going to take it and throw it at Zabuza at an angle that it will cut off his wrist unless he moves away from the water prison." Naruto looked between his brunette teammates. Both of Shikamaru's eyes were open and he was looking at Naruto, slight wonder in his eyes. Sasuke was still glaring at the ground but Naruto got the feeling that Sasuke wasn't completely against the plan. Naruto stood straight and walked over to his clone. The clone glanced at him and vanished in a puff of smoke, causing Naruto to wince. He was practiced enough at making Shadow Clones but the transfer of memories was still a bit rough on him. He really could have gone his whole life without knowing how hard it was being underwater at thirty-five feet.

Naruto shook his head and smiled a forced smile at Zabuza who only laughed at him as if he could see through the smile. Kakashi has stopped yelling but he looked livid from what Naruto could see of his face. He had a feeling if Kakashi came out unscathed, Team Seven was going to get a talking to.

There was a brief moment of silence. The water seemed to cease moving altogether and no one seemed to be breathing. The animals had long since been silent; perhaps they were watching the mediocre battle unfold. The silence was broken by Shikamaru who grumbled something and ran at the lake. As Naruto expected, a few water clones popped up and launched themselves on land while Kakashi and Zabuza seemed startled. If it hadn't been so perfect, Naruto would have been offended that they thought he would attack blindly. While the rogue ninja and the Jounin were distracted, Naruto created a clone quickly. His hands quickly shifted hand signs and the clone that had crouched behind him transformed into a fūma shuriken. Naruto discreetly kicked it to Sasuke and looked up, watching Shikamaru take out two water clones.

"Sasuke," Naruto said quietly. Sasuke needed no further encouragement. With the shuriken in hand, the raven haired twelve year old jumped into the fray, using the folded up shuriken to take out a clone. With a flick of his wrist, Sasuke opened the shuriken. He cut through another clone and, with careful aim, threw it at Zabuza before turning around to help Shikamaru fight off the water clones. Naruto watched the shuriken as it flew through the air. It took Zabuza a few seconds to realize the position he was in and he laughed aloud and leapt away from Kakashi who fell into the lake with a clatter. The shuriken continued on until it was sinking down into the depths of the lake. It dispelled quickly and the damage was done.

Team Seven was back in formation around Tazuna who had wisely kept his mouth shut while the Genin disobeyed their sensei. Kakashi quickly gathered his wits about him and stood atop the lake's surface. He sighed loudly and Zabuza laughed, taking up a position on top of the lake as well. Kakashi took out a kunai and carefully weighed it in his hands, his eyes on Zabuza. They stared at each other and Kakashi threw the kunai. Zabuza ducked the kunai and laughed again. His laughter only increased when Kakashi glared at him. The rogue ninja continued chuckling as he made hand signs at a rapid pace.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Naruto blinked, surprised to hear his sensei's voice as well as Zabuza's. He looked between the two men and noted the slight widening of Zabuza's eyes. So he wasn't the only one surprised by his sensei's sudden talent in water jutsu. That was good to know. Two dragons slowly rose up from the water surrounding the two ninja to form two long dragons that attacked each other head first. They collided and burst apart, causing a thirty second rain to shower the six males. Naruto brought his hand up to shield his eyes in an attempt to watch what was going on atop the lake.

Neither ninja had moved since the forced rain and neither moved when it stopped. "Oh Kakashi," Zabuza said aloud. "I hadn't expected that so soon. Do you fear that you will lose? Is that why you're trying so hard?" Kakashi didn't reply, he only stared at Zabuza.

"How the hell did he do that?" Naruto heard Sasuke snap. Naruto rolled his eyes and pushed some of his soaked hair out of his face. In front of the team, Zabuza and Kakashi were exchanging blows. The jutsu seemed to have put Zabuza on edge, something that amused Naruto. After all, hadn't he been the one to start it? Kakashi blocked Zabuza's sword with two kunai and kicked the rogue's side. Zabuza stumbled, his foot sinking in the water for a brief second. Kakashi struck out, cutting Zabuza's forehead. He stabbed the man's arm as well, jumping back with only one kunai in hand. Zabuza laughed and ripped the kunai out of his arm, tossing it behind him. It landed with a thump in the sand on the edge of the lake. Zabuza growled and swung his sword down onto Kakashi's shoulder. The Jounin threw himself to his right, the blade grazing his forearm slightly through the cloth of his shirt. Kakashi caught himself on the water's surface and rolled out of the way of Zabuza's blade again, kicking the man in the knees. Zabuza fell back into the water. He took a moment to reorient himself and grabbed Kakashi's leg, pulling the Jounin under the water. He took a breath and dove under as well.

Naruto's eyes zeroed in on the lake and he briefly wondered if Kakashi needed help. His wonders were put to rest when Kakashi broke the surface. He clambered on top of the lake and jumped back a few feet, Zabuza resurfacing where Kakashi had. Zabuza growled and took a couple steps back away from Kakashi. Kakashi arched his brow and sighed to himself, reaching up to his headband. He carefully shifted it so that it rested on his forehead, both of his eyes uncovered.

"Ah, you do fear a loss," Zabuza said lightly. "Copy Cat Kakashi, using the Sharingan."

"What?" Sasuke shouted. Naruto whipped around and glared at Sasuke who glared back and looked away. Naruto arched a brow and looked back at the fight, watching as the two men on the water stared each other down. Kakashi's Sharingan was spinning slowly, much to Naruto's confusion. He didn't know very much about the Sharingan being that he wasn't an Uchiha but he was pretty sure that spinning wasn't normal. He watched curiously as the men began making the same hand signs very slowly, maintaining eye contact with one another. Some unspoken cue seemed to go off because Kakashi began to speed up, causing Zabuza to falter.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted. In front of him, water began to rise up in a circle that filled with water and shot out in a spinning mass that quickly enveloped Zabuza. The water was a spinning, raging mess that flooded the surrounding area. Naruto lost track of their enemy as the water continued to rage, slowly dying down until the water ran back into the lake in thick rivers and soon tiny rivulets. Kakashi pushed himself into the air and onto a tree branch as he slid his headband back over his eye. He easily found Zabuza and pulled out a kunai, taking aim. As he went to throw, a trio of senbon embedded themselves into the rogue ninja's neck.

Naruto ran to the edge of the lake, ignoring Sasuke's shout and Shikamaru's sigh. He waded into the water until he found the kunai that had been washed away by the vortex. He picked it up and looked around, looking for Kakashi. Kakashi was crouched on a branch and Naruto could see Zabuza. The man wasn't alone. There was a short person standing beside Zabuza. Naruto waded back out of the water and threw the kunai into the dirt, taking off. He didn't care that he shouldn't have broken formation –he needed to make sure Kakashi had backup.

"Sensei?" Naruto called out quietly. Kakashi and the other ninja looked toward him, giving Naruto a good look at the new ninja's mask.

"Naruto," Kakashi said. Naruto's head shot over at the sound of Kakashi's voice. He sounded awful. "This is a Hunter Nin. He's here to take care of Zabuza." Naruto nodded, not looking away from Kakashi. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the Hunter Nin disappeared in a bout of mist with Zabuza. And then Kakashi fell out of the tree. Naruto watched in mild alarm for a second before he thrust himself forward, catching Kakashi's deadweight. They both crumpled to the ground, Naruto a little rougher than Kakashi.

"Kakash-Sensei?" Naruto asked, putting a hand on Kakashi's face. He slapped the man's cheek twice, earning him a groan. Kakashi's eye opened and he glared at Naruto before he went limp. Naruto put his ear to Kakashi's chest, pleased to hear a firm heartbeat. "Sasuke!" Naruto shouted loudly, his tone monotonous. He couldn't carry Kakashi by himself. It took a few moments but Sasuke was soon at his side and they were splitting Kakashi's deadweight between them. "Let's get the hell out of here," Naruto mumbled, earning quiet agreement from Sasuke. They set off slowly to meet Tazuna and Shikamaru. At the two questioning looks they received Naruto shook his head and Shikamaru muttered about troublesome Jounin and turned to Tazuna.

"Tazuna-San," Shikamaru said, "you need to take us to your home as quickly as possible." Tazuna looked between Shikamaru and Kakashi for a moment before nodding and motioning them off. Shikamaru fell into step beside Tazuna while Sasuke and Naruto followed up with Kakashi supported between them. It was going to be a long mission.


	12. Dumplings and Training

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Tomorrow I'm putting out a chapter that will be last week and this week's bonus chapters combined. It will be setting up the bL/yaoi/shounen-ai that the original was known for. So yay. Also, Sasuke doesn't know Haku is a boy.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Kakashi's deadweight was heavy. Naruto would have guessed eighty-six kilograms just looking at the man, taking his speed into account as well. To the blond's tired arms, however, Kakashi seemed to weigh thousands of kilograms. Naruto grunted and shifted Kakashi's arm across his shoulders, wincing at the man's weight. He was painfully heavy. Naruto briefly wondered if Sasuke felt the same or if he was just really weak. Shaking those thoughts from his head, Naruto shot a glance around them. The forest lining the path was starting to thin and in the distance Naruto could see clusters of roofs scattered about.

"Tazuna-San," Naruto called out. "Are we nearly there?" He sighed quietly and shifted Kakashi's arm once again. He hoped they were almost there –his sensei's weight was seriously starting to hurt him. As it were, he was pretty sure there was going to be an arm shaped bruise across his shoulders. The blond looked up to see Tazuna nodding emphatically.

"We're here," the old man said, his tone light and happy. He pointed ahead of them and Naruto followed his finger to a small hut that sat beside a river. They crossed a small bridge and Naruto let out a sharp exhale, shaking his head slightly when Shikamaru looked back at him in concern. The brunette raised a brow and faced forward, following Tazuna to the house door. The old man didn't knock; he simply opened the door and walked in. Team Seven followed, taking off their shoes as they went.

"Tsunami!" Tazuna called out as he removed his hat. He hung it on a hook on the wall and called out again. "Tsunami! Inari! Is anyone home?"

"Papa?" Naruto looked around for the sound of the voice. In the doorway across from them was a young woman with dark hair hanging low, nearly passed her hips. Naruto watched her as she approached Tazuna. She had a delicate walk but Naruto knew that women were stronger than their delicate bodies made them seem. "Papa!" the woman exclaimed, throwing her arms around Tazuna. "What took you so long? You've been gone months and months. If I could have afforded it, I would have sent someone after you."

Tazuna grunted and turned to face the ninja. He motioned to them as a whole and Tsunami set her gaze on them. "Tsunami, meet the ninjas I got hired. Shikamaru, the brunette here, Sasuke, the black haired one, Naruto, the blond, and Kakashi, their sensei." To the males, he said, "Meet my daughter, Tsunami." Naruto nodded to the woman who didn't spare him a glance. Her gaze was focused on Kakashi.

"He needs to rest," she said simply. She looked at Team Seven. "Sasuke-Kun, Naruto-Kun. Bring him this way." Naruto shifted Kakashi again and followed Tsunami into a room to the right of the house. She quickly got out a bedroll and set it up, motioning to it when it was done. "Set him here." Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other under Kakashi's lolled head and carefully set their sensei on his front. Naruto peeled off Kakashi's pack and the two boys rolled the Jounin onto his back. Tsunami them shooed them from the room and Naruto backed out, rolling his shoulders. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he reentered the main room and ignored the raised eye brows he received from the other three in the room.

Naruto took a moment to look around the house now that Kakashi wasn't his primary focus. It was a quaint room. There was a chair, lamp, and table in the corner but it seemed to serve mainly as a mudroom and entry room. Naruto reached up and absently rubbed his shoulders, sighing at the feel of the gentle pressure on his sore muscles. If that was what being a ninja meant, Naruto was seriously going to reconsider his path. He didn't want to be carrying twenty-something unconscious men around on his shoulders. Naruto cringed at the thought of having to carry Kakashi on his own and shook his head slightly, looking up when Tazuna began to speak.

"Your room will be upstairs if you don't mind sharing." Naruto glanced at Sasuke and Shikamaru and nodded slowly. He really didn't mind. As long as he got to sleep by the window, Naruto would have no complaints. "That's good. Tsunami, do you have supper on?" Naruto listened for a minute and heard Tsunami reply that it was done. "Well, let's go eat." Tazuna motioned Team Seven off and, after shedding their packs and setting them by the door, the boys followed the man into the room Tsunami had come from.

The room was a small kitchen/dining room set up, the only obvious room change being the small table on the smaller half of the room. It was set for three and Tazuna grumbled to himself, heading to the other half of the room. He came back with three bowls and rearranged the table, sitting himself at the head. Naruto sat to his right with Shikamaru beside him, Sasuke sitting across from Naruto. The four of them sat there in silence for a few minutes before Tsunami came into the room. She looked at them in confusion before laughing and going into the kitchen half of the room. She carefully carried the food into the kitchen and set it down on the table.

Bowing, she said, "Please wait a moment." She spun around and left the room. "Inari!" she shouted. "Inari, come down here! It's supper time! Your papa is home!" There was silence and then a thumping sound and a small boy ran into the kitchen. He ran passed Sasuke and threw himself at Tazuna silently, hugging the man around the neck.

"Papa," the boy mumbled. Naruto looked at the boy and then at his teammates. Sasuke seemed annoyed and Shikamaru looked apathetic. Tsunami reentered the room, smiling slightly. She knelt on the cushion opposite Tazuna and spoke.

"Inari, come sit." The boy whined and pulled away from Tazuna, moving to sit beside Tsunami. "Inari, these boys escorted Papa home. Isn't that nice? This is Shikamaru-Kun and beside him is Naruto-Kun. You're sitting next to Sasuke-Kun." She smiled happily and patted Inari's head. "Boys, this is my son Inari. Help yourselves to some food." Tazuna was the first to move, picking up his bowl. He piled rice into it, patting it occasionally to make sure it kept the egg shape he wanted. He set it down and Naruto moved next. His pile was significantly smaller than Tazuna's and, as the table went around, the smallest serving at the table. The blond ate slowly and contributed easily to the dinner table conversation. He watched as the people around him dove in for seconds, continuing to eat slowly. There had been a sense of nagging at the back of his head. That coupled with his exhaustion from carrying around Kakashi made his appetite rather small. Something wasn't sitting well in Naruto's stomach, he just didn't know what.

Dinner went by leisurely and all of the males were sitting idly at the table while Tsunami did dishes. Inari broke the relaxing quiet. "Why did you come here with Papa?" he asked, looking at the three twelve year olds. Tsunami squeaked and Tazuna groaned. Naruto was the one who answered.

"Because it was the mission we were assigned." He shrugged easily as if it was normal. Well in Konoha it definitely was normal. He was aware that they had entered no-ninja country but Naruto didn't understand the big deal. He especially didn't understand Inari's suddenly scathing look. What had he done?

"Why?" Inari whispered. "Why are you killing yourselves?" Naruto flinched in surprise at the small boy's yell. Who knew such a tiny person could have such a loud voice? Naruto certainly didn't. "What's wrong with you? Are you stupid? You must be. This is no-ninja country, _ninja._ I think you want to die. Are you here to help Papa build the bridge, too?"

Naruto glared and spoke, his tone cold and hard. "Yes, we are," he snarled. He paid no attention to Shikamaru's jump or Sasuke's sharp look. "That's what our mission is. Escort the bridge builder and watch over him as he builds the bridge. If that requires our assistance, then so be it." Naruto raised his brows when Inari slammed his hands on the table and stood.

"That's so stupid!" he screamed. Naruto curled his hands into fists and he felt Shikamaru tense beside him. "You're going to get Papa killed! What is your problem? Why can't you just let us be?"

"Your papa hired us," Naruto replied in the same cold tone. "Blame him, not us."

"Shut up!" Inari screeched. "I hate you! You're stupid and you're going to get my papa killed and then us killed and-" he let out a little yelp as Naruto's hand flew across his face. The slap Naruto delivered echoed into the quiet of the room, the only sound being the quiet running water from Tsunami's direction.

"Keep your mouth shut," Naruto said lowly. Inari touched his cheek and shot Naruto an angry look, tears pricking the young boy's eyes. He let out a sob and spun on his heel, fleeing the room. Naruto, who had stood to slap the young boy, sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let his arms fall to his sides and looked at Tazuna. "What room is ours?" he asked softly.

Tazuna looked at him over his glasses and grunted quietly. "Go through your sensei's room and up the stairs. You can't miss 'em. Second door on the right. Bedrolls are in the closet in the room." Naruto brushed some hair from his eyes and nodded. He bowed at the table.

"Excuse me," the blond murmured. He stepped back and around Shikamaru and left the room. He froze in the middle of the main room and his head snapped to the room's only window by the door. His eyes narrowed and he watched it carefully. Someone had been watching him, Naruto was sure of it. The blond shook his head. That couldn't be right. He was simply tired. Sighing, Naruto grabbed his pack from its place by the door and made his way up to the room according to Tazuna's directions. He found four bedrolls and set three of them up, leaving one out by the door. He rolled out two in the middle of the room and one under the window. He quickly changed into his night clothes and slid into the roll under the window, quickly and easily falling asleep.

[ X x X ]

When Naruto opened his eyes, light was barely peeking into the window above him. He sighed and took a moment to remember where he was. Right. He was in Mizugakure with his team and Tazuna. The blond yawned and closed his eyes to stretch. He froze mid-stretch when something breezed over him and he sat up quickly, looking around suspiciously. No one was in the room aside from him and his teammates which wasn't odd but something wasn't right. Naruto looked at the window with his brows raised. He didn't open it. He shook his head. Sasuke or Shikamaru had to have opened it. Naruto yawned again and inhaled sharply, blinking in confusion. Tsunami couldn't have already been up. He looked around the room again and his eyes were drawn to the edge of his bedroll. A small basket sat at his feet. He stared at it blankly.

After Tsuki had introduced himself to Naruto as his ANBU guardian, Naruto would sometimes wake up with baskets of dumplings, fruit, or both on his bedside table. What was in the baskets would entirely depend on the season and the weather. If apples were in season and the day was nice, Tsuki would bring apples. If apples were in season but the day was overcast, Tsuki would bring apples and dumplings. They were supposed to make the day better. It had been four years since Naruto had received a basket from Tsuki. Now, he sat in his bedroll staring in confusion at the basket of plums and dumplings. Thee blond bit his lip and looked to the window again. Could it be…? No. Naruto shook his head and leaned forward, retrieving the basket. He pulled it to his chest and plucked a plum from the basket. There were only five plums and five dumplings but the sight of them made Naruto's heart pound.

Naruto bit into the plum, savouring the flavor as it washed through his mouth. He smiled radiantly and quickly finished the plums off. He sucked the juice from his fingers and climbed to his feet, hiding the dumplings in his bedroll. He grabbed his bag and left the room quietly, making his way around the second floor in search of the bathroom. He found it quickly and slid into the room noiselessly, locking the door behind him. He set his bag in the corner farthest from the bath and shower and stripped down swiftly, tossing his clothes on his bag. Naruto showered down and contemplated taking a bath. He decided it was polite not to and dressed himself casually, prepared for a day of rest. Kakashi was still unconscious after all.

Naruto packed up his bag and went back to his shared room, nodding at Sasuke who was sitting up in his bedroll with a confused look on his face.

"'Morning," Naruto said lightly.

"Did you sleep well?" Sasuke asked. Naruto tripped at the question and stumbled, dropping to his knees by his bedroll. He looked over at Sasuke, his brows raised. The look was quickly ruined as Naruto went cross eyed to watch a water droplet fall onto his nose. Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes, looking away from Naruto.

"I slept alright," Naruto muttered, dropping his bag onto his bed. He uncovered his basket and stared down at the dumplings. He picked up the basket and leaned back, falling onto his butt. He offered out the basket to the Uchiha. "Dumpling?" Sasuke stared at the basket and met Naruto's eyes. "Don't ask where I got them." With a roll of his eyes, Sasuke took a dumpling, only biting into it when Naruto took a huge bite out of the one he selected. Between the two of them, the dumplings were quickly diminished. Naruto set the basket down and got to his feet. "I'm going downstairs. You need to shower."

Naruto left the room before Sasuke could fully grasp the insult Naruto's words contained and he slipped downstairs. He stopped at the bottom step, surprised to see his sensei sitting up on his bedroll.

"Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked softly. The Jounin glanced over his shoulder and Naruto got the feeling that Kakashi was smiling at him. "Okay then. Is anyone else up?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Just us it seems," Kakashi said calmly. Naruto tipped his head to the side.

"Why are you awake, Sensei?" Naruto asked firmly.

Arching his visible brow, Kakashi replied, "It's nearly five, Naruto. I should be up."

The blond shook his head firmly, startling the Jounin. Naruto couldn't help it. He'd seen the exhaustion in Kakashi's eyes the day prior. He had seen how much effort the Jounin had exerted using the Sharingan. Or perhaps it was the chakra usage. Either way, Naruto wasn't completely stupid. "You shouldn't be awake."

Kakashi stared at him dully for a moment. "Why are you awake?" the Jounin asked, his tone light and friendly. Naruto glared at the man. "Shikamaru wouldn't have carried me. Tazuna couldn't have. Leaving you and Sasuke. _You_ are the one who shouldn't be awake, Naruto."

Naruto spluttered incoherently for a few seconds before he properly formulated a sentence. "I don't sleep passed four." He stared at Kakashi, almost daring the man to say something against what he said. Kakashi didn't disappoint.

"Don't, won't, or can't?" Kakashi replied easily. "I'm inclined to think it's not voluntary." Without a word, Naruto walked passed Kakashi and out the front door without his shoes. He stood on the porch and watched the sun slink into the sky at a slow pace. Was it that obvious or was Kakashi just messing with him? Naruto glared at the orange and pink sunrise, wishing he could have denied Kakashi's claims. His abrupt departure was sure to have affirmed Kakashi's suspicions.

Naruto stayed out on the porch until Tsunami came and got him for breakfast. Breakfast was a simple affair of miso soup and green tea. Tsunami had located some crutches in the house and loaned them to Kakashi who joined them at breakfast. The meal was light and happy but Naruto kept getting looks from his teammates. What had Sasuke and Shikamaru heard? Naruto was known to talk in his sleep which left him only wondering. Kakashi was probably still thinking about their earlier conversation. When the meal ended, Kakashi requested the boys of Team Seven meet him in the boys' room and they filed up the stairs. Kakashi was the last to join them with Tsunami's help and the woman bid them farewell.

Kakashi took a breath and began. "Our squadron is severely lacking in discipline and skill," he said bluntly, not surprised when Sasuke sneered and Naruto sighed loudly. Shikamaru grumbled under his breath and Kakashi merely rolled his eye. "To fix this, we are going to be doing chakra training exercises. I will supervise you but until I recover that is all I can do. Do you understand?"

"Why do we need to train?" Sasuke asked quietly. "Zabuza is dead. What enemies do we have but small fries?" Naruto shot Sasuke a look that the Uchiha studiously ignored, focusing on Kakashi.

"Zabuza is not dead," Kakashi admitted aloud. "However, the force I put in my chakra left me too exhausted to do anything but let the faux Hunter Nin and his master's plan continue." Naruto arched a brow. "Naruto. You saw where the Hunter Nin threw his senbon, didn't you?" Naruto nodded.

"Yes, he hit his neck here," Naruto indicated two spots with his fingers. The spots were about four inches up from the base of his neck.

Kakashi nodded. "When the proper pressure is applied, the person will show symptoms of death but when the pressure is removed, they come alive again." There was a moment of silence as this sunk in.

"So," Naruto said. "He's a zombie?" He blinked at the disbelieving looks the other three males gave him. "Well?" Naruto snapped, glaring levelly at his teammates.

"No, Naruto," Kakashi sighed. "He is just weak. In his condition, he will need at least a week of recovery."

"So we have a week to train," Sasuke finished, earning a nod from Kakashi. "Then what are we waiting for?" the Uchiha shot to his feet and stared at his team.

Kakashi grunted and pushed himself to his feet, the other two boys following. Naruto looked down at his outfit and decided that it would do for training. He didn't need to dress up; the blond was dressed in some black shorts and a black tank top with his headband resting around his neck. The blond brought up the rear of his team. He followed them into the main room where Kakashi told Tsunami and Tazuna what their plans were. Tsunami insisted on making bento for them and then sent them on their way with their small bento boxes.

[ X x X ]

Naruto stared blankly at Kakashi who was hanging upside from a tree, demonstrating the exercise they were to be doing. The team had walked for a good two hours and finally decided on a point to train. The exercise was supposed to build up chakra control in the boys. The person who first reached the top of three would get leisure rights and got to sit with Kakashi while the other two worked. Kakashi left them with three kunai and an idea of what they needed to do and found a tree to sit under that offered optimum viewing and shade.

Naruto picked up a kunai and focused for a minute before running at the tree. He managed to get three feet up the tree before falling. He swiped the kunai, leaving a mark in the bark of the tree before he landed harshly on the ground. Shikamaru soon followed, making it six feet up the tree before he fell. Sasuke made it three before falling. Naruto huffed and pushed himself up onto his feet. He moved back to his starting position and watched Shikamaru and Sasuke go again. Sasuke was putting too much chakra into his feet causing the bark to break under his feet. Shikamaru put enough until he reached higher than seven feet and then he put too much in. Naruto continued to watch his teammates' techniques for a few seconds before he ran at the tree. He passed both boys, reaching twelve feet. He made his mark and went another foot before the bark started breaking. He got another mark on and lost his footing. Naruto twisted himself in the air and landed on his hands on the ground, flipping onto his feet. He rubbed his shoulders, one aching from the cut the day before and both aching from Kakashi's weight.

The hours passed and the morning slowly faded into afternoon. So far, Shikamaru had been three-fourths of the way up the tree while Naruto couldn't pass twenty feet and Sasuke was barely hitting twenty-one feet. The trio took a break around noon and sat with Kakashi for lunch –the bentos Tsunami had prepared were sublime and despite his waning appetite, Naruto inhaled the food. He was the first back to work and with renewed vigor reached almost forty feet on the tree. He landed awkwardly on his back, pain going to his shoulders. The blond stayed on the ground until Sasuke and Shikamaru got back to working. He gingerly pulled himself up and ran at the tree, hitting forty-five feet the next round. He landed on the ground again and looked up in annoyance only to be surprised by the sight of Nara Shikamaru sitting proudly on the top of the tree he'd chosen.

"Go Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled up to the brunette, giving him a thumbs up. He winked at the brunette and looked at Sasuke who was glowering up at the Nara heir. Naruto punched Sasuke's arm, giving him a look when Sasuke glared at him. "Stop," Naruto snapped harshly, looking away in time to see Shikamaru sliding down the tree. The Nara jumped the last few feet and touched Naruto's shoulder gently before going to sit with Kakashi. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks and both ran determinedly at the tree, Naruto testing the amount of chakra he needed to apply. At sixty feet, the bark broke and Naruto landed painfully on his shoulders and neck.

He groaned and rolled onto his stomach, his hands coming up to clutch opposite shoulders. He groaned into the ground and rolled his neck in an attempt at soothing the pain. Beside him, someone else thumped to the ground. Naruto let out a sob into the grass and pushed himself up on shaking arms that gave out quickly. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he shouted, "Don't touch me!" and he rolled away, jumping forcefully to his feet. He winced and glared at Sasuke and Shikamaru before running up the tree. He didn't make it twenty feet before falling. He twisted himself and landed carefully on his feet this time.

The afternoon slowly faded away and the sunset passed. Naruto refused to return with Shikamaru and Kakashi to the house and Sasuke was halfway up the tree when they left.

Naruto grunted as he landed on his side and lay there, panting lightly. Sasuke groaned as he landed beside him. Naruto sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He held out his hand to Sasuke and the Uchiha took it, pulling himself up as well.

"We're making it to the top," Naruto informed his teammate. "Or we're going back to Tsunami's." Sasuke stared at him and looked down at their still connected hands. They made eye contact and their loosely gripping hands turned into a handshake and they both stepped back to the place they began the exercise from. Naruto threw his kunai to the ground between them and Sasuke followed suit. "Ready?" Naruto asked. Sasuke grunted. "Go!" They took off running at the tree.

[ X x X ]

When the front door opened and Tsunami screamed, Naruto got the feeling she had been expecting them both relatively alright. Instead, Naruto's arm away around Sasuke's shoulders and both were covered in dirt and bruises. Naruto groaned and tugged away from Sasuke, letting Tsunami take care of him instead. She ushered him into the shower and returned fifteen minutes after with some clothes for him. Sasuke took his place in the bathroom and Tsunami set Naruto at the kitchen table.

Tazuna was reading something at the head of the table but it seemed everyone else was asleep. Sasuke joined Naruto at the table shortly thereafter and Tsunami dished them up some curry rice. She sat across from Tazuna and watched the boys eat for a few moments.

"If you _ever_," Tsunami spoke, her tone cold, "stay out this late again and return under my care like that again, I can promise you that you will not enjoy the consequences." Naruto looked up at the woman, his brows raised. The look in her eyes told the blond she wasn't joking. He swallowed what was in his mouth and nodded. "I don't care if you have some sort of rivalry or need to prove something to yourself." Naruto sat up and looked toward the kitchen window as Tsunami spoke. Someone was watching them, he could feel it. Despite his efforts, though, Naruto could see no one. He sighed and went back to eating only to find he had cleaned his plate. He stared at it for a moment and looked up when Tsunami mentioned bed. "Go. Upstairs, both of you." Naruto nodded and carefully got to his feet, stumbling as he did so. Luckily, Sasuke was there to grab him. Sasuke grunted and helped Naruto upstairs. It seemed Kakashi had moved into their room. His bedroll was on the wall directly to the right of the door. Naruto sighed and went over to his bedroll. He stared down at it, wondering where the basket had gone.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Naruto crawled in and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Naruto woke up with a basket of dumplings and peaches, four of each. Naruto absently munched on a peach as he waited for his team to wake up. He shared his basket with the other three men in the room and they left the house (with bento from Tsunami, of course) to continue their chakra exercises. Kakashi made sure that all three of the boys could reach the top of trees with little to no effort and had them move on to their hand-to-hand. The following three days, Naruto would wake up with a basket of dumplings and fruit and the team would go to the clearing and work on hand-to-hand. Not one day did anyone ask where he got the basket. It was something that was accepted as being there. That and Kakashi realized how sensitive Naruto was on the subject.

The days rolled by. Naruto seemed to be excelling incredibly at hand-to-hand and the chakra control involved in that. He was practically leaving Sasuke and Shikamaru in the dust. Kakashi was proud but also surprised; the same could be said for the boys left behind in Naruto's prowess. No one had thought Naruto would put forth such effort. Over the days, Kakashi's stamina and overall ability to move seemed to be improving. He even mentioned to Tazuna that if he woke up feeling well, they would be able to make it to the bridge for the old man to start his work. Tazuna had been excited.

[ X x X ]

The sound of birds woke Uchiha Sasuke from his slumber. He grumbled and rolled over, surprised to see Shikamaru's bedroll empty. Something clicked in Sasuke's mind and he shot up, looking around. No one but him was in the room. On Naruto's bed was the basket with a dumpling and cut up fig. A note from Naruto informed him that they had left for the bridge. Sasuke stared at the note and he shoved the dumpling whole into his mouth. He picked up the fig bits and quickly left the room. He went downstairs, not glancing at Inari who was in the room doing something. He went through the main room and entered the kitchen, not surprised to see Tsunami.

"Tsunami-San," Sasuke said after swallowing the dumpling. The woman spun around and smiled at him, glancing at the figs in his hand.

"Good morning, Sasuke-Kun," the woman greeted. "I have your breakfast here. Natto might taste good with figs."

"Ah, no," Sasuke muttered. "I have to go." At the look in Tsunami's eyes, Sasuke backtracked. "After I eat. I suppose." He sighed loudly to make it known he didn't want to just sit and eat and he knelt on a cushion at the table. Tsunami dished up his foot and Sasuke quickly ate the natto and his figs. When he was done he made his way upstairs and shimmied out of his night clothes. Halfway through dressing, he heard someone scream. That someone was definitely Tsunami.

Sasuke finished pulling on his clothes and he quietly made his way down the stairs. He peered into the room at the foot of the stairs, annoyed that Inari had left the room. He carefully peeked into the main room. Tsunami was being held by a tall, buff guy and the man he was with, a tall man covered in tattoos, was lording over Inari who was cowering on the ground. Sasuke watched both men for a moment, his eyes dark as the bigger guy adjusted his sword on Tsunami's neck. The Uchiha watched the taller man's movements, looking for a good place to strike. The man's defensive stance seemed lacking at the small of his back. Sasuke quietly cloned himself and sent the clone out. The cloine attacked the man quickly, stabbing the small of his back. Sasuke grit his teeth as he heard the force of the stab go through a bone or two. Shit that wasn't good. The clone ripped out the kunai he had used and the man fell to the ground. Inari screamed and ran into the kitchen while the big guy stared at the clone.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes as the man began talking about how if the clone made one false move he would cut off Tsunami's head. The clone began walking and the big guy followed the clone's movements by rotating his body. The clone stopped walking when the man's back was to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-Kun!" Tsunami screamed at the clone. "Get out of here! Go protect Papa!"

"Shut up, bitch!" the big guy growled. The clone's eyes narrowed and Sasuke shot out, stabbing a kunai into the crook of the man's neck, where his shoulder and neck met. The man released Tsunami who fell into the clone's arms. The clone took Tsunami to the kitchen and Sasuke watched with cold eyes as the man crumpled to the ground. Sasuke toed the man's foot, pleased when he didn't wake up. He walked quickly to the kitchen and looked at Tsunami and Inari.

"Stay here. I have a feeling it was just those two who were sent here to kill you," Sasuke told them. He looked at Tsunami. "Don't leave, Tsunami-San. Understand? Wait until we come back." Tsunami stared up at him and nodded after a moment. Sasuke looked at Inari and turned, darting out of the room.

Sasuke ran from the house and ran up a tree, leaping off the branch onto the next one. He jumped through the forest, stretching out his senses. He was trying to find his team. His stretched out senses got the feel of chakra due east so Sasuke changed his course accordingly, making his way toward the chakra. He kept his senses out, ignoring the fact that it would probably wear him out faster. He didn't want to get lost. It took him about fifteen minutes with chakra kicked in his shoes to reach the bridge. He crouched on a branch out of sight of the bridge, looking around. It was very misty, almost unnaturally so. Sasuke growled, knowing it was Zabuza. Unless Nami no Gatou had another mist ninja, Zabuza had to be there. Sasuke jumped onto the bridge and looked around, squinting through the mist.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out. "Kakashi?" Straight ahead he heard someone speaking. He couldn't place the voice and he could only pick out a few words, something about rumors and wouldn't something happen if someone said something about the rumors. It didn't make much sense to the Uchiha. Sasuke glared and jogged toward the commotion. The mist cleared when he entered the battle grounds and he saw Naruto and Shikamaru guarding Tazuna while Kakashi and a clone fought off Zabuza and a young girl, both teaming up against the Jounin.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru breathed, temporarily drawing attention away from Kakashi who took the opportunity to strike. Zabuza ducked and punched Kakashi's gut. The girl punched the clone's face and the clone spat blood on her. It wasn't just Tsunami and Inari being attacked. Sasuke could feel the tension in the air and he closed his eyes for a moment before jumping forward, taking his place as Tazuna's guard. There wasn't much else to be done.


	13. Side Chapter: Never Look Back

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Itachi is a bit OOC. In the end, when writing an AU/AH, nothing can help being OOC. This is setting up Itachi's side of things. Eventually, probably around the Chuunin exams (so far away!), they will have to confront each other and their feelings. Next week, Team Seven's skills develop!

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Momochi Zabuza had always been someone Pein had had eyes on. The man was a cold blooded killer but, as seen with his apprentice, was capable of being kind. While there wasn't much room for kindness in the Akatsuki, it was still a valuable trait. It made it easier for the member to go undercover if need be. Generally, Pein didn't send his men out undercover if he could avoid it. He tended to send them on pair missions, another thing Zabuza and his apprentice would be valuable for. They already worked well together, so that would eliminate some problems. The only problem he seemed to be having with gaining Zabuza as an ally was that the man absolutely refused. The first time Pein had recruited the man, he went himself and was spat on. This time, Pein was sending a duo that wouldn't take being spat on kindly. Uchiha Itachi had low tolerance for people like that and Hoshigaki Kisame looked for any reason to punch someone in the face.

All of these things added up into one large sum: Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were going to Mizugakure.

[ X x X ]

When Itachi received the mission from his leader, he hadn't expected to be creeping through the misty forest surrounding Mizu with a grumpy Kisame. He had pictured going in, knocking Zabuza and his apprentice unconscious, and leaving with them. Of course things could never be simple for Itachi, could they?

The mist was thicker than it should have been. That was one of the few things that bothered Itachi about the entire situation. He hadn't been briefed for fake mist. He could barely see and he doubted that using his Sharingan would make the situation any better. A little ways behind him, Kisame was grumbling under his breath, no doubt irritated by the mist. How anyone could use that kind of jutsu was beyond Itachi. The man peered around, his senses stretched out as he attempted to locate the village or at least someone. To his left, there was a sharp amount of chakra spiking.

"Itachi," Kisame said lowly from behind him. Itachi looked at his partner and they both nodded, leaping into the trees. Their pace was quick and they went silently through the branches, reaching the area where the chakra had originated from rather quickly. They halted on the same branch and Itachi looked around the area. There was a ninja with Genin chakra fighting a handful of water clones while Momochi Zabuza stood on the lake surface, his arm outstretched connecting with a sphere of water. Through the mist, Itachi couldn't make out who was being trapped in the sphere. A moment later, another ninja with Genin chakra joined in the fight. Itachi raised his brows and looked around the clearing. Clearly a Genin team was somehow connected to their mission. Itachi wondered which member of their team was trapped because, depending on who it was, they could intervene and just take Zabuza. That train of thought completely ceased when he saw who else was on this team.

Itachi stared at the blond boy who was standing almost lazily in front of an old man. Despite the mist it was obvious who that was. Itachi would know that blond anywhere. No one in Konoha had that shock blond mop of hair atop their head except one boy. Itachi stared at him for a moment until his teammates jumped back to him and he took the time to examine the boys as well. One of them he recognized as an older version of the Nara heir. The last time he'd seen that boy he was eight and significantly shorter. His hair hadn't changed much, though. Itachi's hands curled into fists at the sight of the third member of their team. Uchiha Sasuke only grew taller. That irked Itachi in a way, knowing his little brother simply sprouted up. His hair hadn't changed and his clothes hadn't changed much. Hell, his demeanor was still the same from the last time Itachi saw him, sobbing on the ground.

"Itachi," Kisame spoke. "We can kill the Genin, get the rogue, and go." Itachi looked at his partner, his gaze cold. Kisame stared at him blankly, unaffected by the glare being given to him. Itachi had to give him credit –very few could level with his glare.

"We're going, Kisame," Itachi snapped, turning his back on the scene before them. Kisame started objecting. "I doubt we would be able to grab him if we killed the Genin. Let's go. We'll watch him and see if we can find a time to get him. Do not forget, Kisame, we need his apprentice too."

Kisame sighed. "How do we know one of those boys ain't his apprentice in hiding?" Kisame threw his hands up in surrender at the murderous look Itachi gave him. "Okay, okay. Let's go. Which way is the village?" Itachi pointed to their right and Kisame pushed off the branch they were standing on, Itachi on his heels.

[ X x X ]

Did Leader know about Naruto's mission in Mizu? That was the question Itachi had been asking himself since he'd seen the blond in the area with Zabuza. Naruto was someone he knew Leader was keeping tabs on because of the Kyuubi but would he really go to this extent? Itachi couldn't rule that out. The Uchiha closed his eyes and mentally shook the thoughts away before he slowed to a stop. It took Kisame a moment to realize he had stopped and he back tracked when he did.

"What?" Kisame asked, looking around curiously.

"Are we getting a room or just making due out here?" Itachi asked in way of answer. Kisame looked at him for a moment and let out a harsh laugh that earned him an annoyed glare. "Fine. You may sleep out here. I will find a room for myself." Itachi dropped down from the tree he stopped on and landed lightly on the ground. He quickly undid the clasps on the inside of his cloak and he pulled out a seal, sealing it away. He cast a genjutsu on his weapons pouch to make it look like a back pack. He knew they were in no-ninja land because of Nami no Gatou. He retied his headband so it was on his head and cast a genjutsu on it so it looked like a headband a girl might wear to hold back her hair.

"Come on, Itachi," Kisame whined as he dropped down beside his partner. He hadn't bothered to hide himself yet and if Itachi had his way Kisame wouldn't have to. Itachi arched a brow and stared at Kisame silently. "Really?" the man snapped. "Fine. I'll sleep out here." Itachi looked at him for a minute longer and nodded.

"We will meet at the clearing where Zabuza fought tomorrow at six," Itachi said simply. Kisame nodded and jumped back into the tree while Itachi walked into the village.

The village was very decrepit. There were children and adults on the streets begging. Itachi shot down the beggars with glares whenever they got too close to him and he quickly made his way to a hotel that still looked mostly put together. Itachi went in and checked in under an alias. He deposited his things in his room and put up a few traps to keep out nosy civilians and left through the window. He jumped into the forest and sent out his senses, searching for the familiar chakra signature that was Hatake Kakashi. Where Kakashi was, his team was.

Kisame was sure to know something was up. They had never exchanged stories but the tale of the Uchiha Massacre was famous. That was what he was known for, in the Akatsuki and out of it. The details weren't known, so there was no way Kisame would know that his little brother was on that team of Genin. And because he lacked this knowledge, he would definitely be suspicious of Itachi. He wasn't exactly hiding it, he just didn't flaunt it. Itachi glanced around him, noticing the forest had begun to thin. The Uchiha slowed down and began jumping at an almost leisurely pace. Night had fallen during his run and the air was a bit chilly. Itachi tipped his head to the side as he stopped on a branch outside a small house. He quietly jumped to the ground and peered around the small house. Kakashi was passed out in a room while, on the opposite side of the house, Itachi heard laughter and light conversation. He walked over to the window he assumed lead to the kitchen and was satisfied when it was indeed.

The Genin and the old man were having dinner with a woman and a small boy and it seemed amiable. Itachi was tempted to leave it at that but his gut told him that was a bad idea. So Itachi waited. He watched in concern as Naruto ate a small serving of rice that lasted the entire meal while Sasuke and Nara (Itachi couldn't remember the boy's first name) went back for seconds and the old man even had thirds. Aside from that, nothing seemed wrong. Until the boy spoke. Itachi raised his brows at the boy as he needlessly jumped down the Genins' throats. He was proud when Naruto slapped the boy and decided to take his leave. He went around to the front of his house and stopped when he saw Naruto in the main room. Itachi stared at him for a moment and pushed himself into the trees.

He returned back to his hotel room and stayed there for a total of three hours before he started to get restless. He left the room through the window again and set out for the village market which, when he arrived, was very lacking. Itachi still browsed the market, finding a few things to his liking. He hesitated over a few packages of dumplings before picking them up. He paid for them and made his way over to the fresh fruit section to see what was in season. There weren't many edible versions of the fruits in season but Itachi decided he'd make due and purchased the edible fruits. He went back to his room and began his minor project.

At three forty-five in the morning Itachi found himself back at the old man's house with a basket of dumplings and plums. He didn't know what possessed him to do that. When Naruto was little, he did it as a sort of comfort for the blond. Kami knows he needed it. But now? Itachi chalked it up to nostalgia. Itachi shook his head and he easily located the room Naruto was in. He jumped up onto the window sill and balanced carefully on it, forcing it open. He slipped into the room and stared down at Naruto who was, not surprisingly, sleeping by the window. Itachi set the basket down at his feet and stared at the sleeping blond, tensing when he heard Naruto's breathing go uneven. He saw Naruto's eyes open and held his breath. If Naruto caught him there, there was no telling what would happen. So when the blond closed his eyes and yawned, Itachi quickly slipped out the window, not looking back. He couldn't look back. He shouldn't. Itachi could never, ever look back. If he looked back, he would have to face the facts that he didn't want to face.

There was no nostalgia in taking the basket to Naruto. There was no need to hurt the blond. Itachi wanted to, somehow, get all the things he could never say to Naruto across. It was going to be okay. Someone loved him. It was okay. Itachi loved him.

So Itachi could never look back.


	14. Haku, the One

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Princess Bride reference ahead. I got really into this chapter, so I hope you all will too. And there _is_ a slight scene with Haku, TigrezzTail. I'm not sure Naruto will take anything positive from it, but it's there. Now. Enjoy the chapter!

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Naruto had been annoyed yet not surprised when they had been attacked. He had first just thought the mist was thickening because of the amount of workers on the bridge. However, Naruto knew something was wrong when the mist turned to fog and abruptly shifted back to mist. Kakashi had barely managed to get in front of Tazuna when Momochi Zabuza brought his sword down on Kakashi's kunai. It took Naruto half a second to throw himself in front of Tazuna and Shikamaru was at Tazuna's back not even a second later.

When Sasuke arrived, Naruto was mostly pleased. It meant it would be easier to focus on guarding Tazuna but it also meant Tsunami and her son were unprotected, something that incredibly peeved Naruto. After all, the woman had done so much for them. Naruto nodded to Sasuke and looked back to Zabuza, Kakashi, and the masked ninja. Looking at Zabuza sent a wave of anger through Naruto. What was the man talking about before Sasuke arrived? The blond glared at the rogue ninja who seemed to be smirking beneath the wrappings over his face.

"_Naruto, Naruto," the rogue ninja said as he ducked Kakashi's punch. "We meet again. There is _so much _I have to tell you. And I'll bet everything I have to say will be news to you. Ne, Kakashi-Kun?" Naruto furrowed his brows at the familiar honorific Zabuza used to address the Jounin. What was he even talking about? Naruto's mind was in a flurry. The first time they had met, he mentioned something about hearing rumors about him. Like now, Kakashi had looked even more on edge then. Which could only lead to one conclusion: Kakashi knew what Zabuza was talking about. "Oh, Kakashi," Zabuza purred, drawing Naruto out from his thoughts. The rogue brought down his sword on Kakashi who threw himself to the side and kicked the masked nin at Zabuza's side. "What do you think would happen if I let slip to Naruto the rumors that I know?_"

The blond shook his head and focused on the fight in time to see the clone Kakashi had created punch the mask ninja's mask clean off their face. The person beneath the mask caused Naruto to do a double take. That was most certainly a boy. A very feminine boy, but Naruto had been on the receiving end of gender confusion before and he could easily pick out the boy's features that were masculine. The shape of his eyes and how wide they were as well as his lips in comparison to the shape of his face. He had a feminine jaw and high cheekbones but Naruto could see the masculinity in the boy.

"Oh dear," Zabuza drawled out, delivering a firm punch to the clone's gut. Naruto's brows furrowed when it disappeared and he looked to Kakashi, watching his sensei hold his stomach briefly. "Haku, kill the old man. _Now_." Naruto looked at the boy and their eyes met briefly before Haku jumped at him. Naruto growled and he reached out, barely managing to catch Haku's wrist as it tried to fly passed him to Tazuna. Their eyes met once more and a small smile was shot at Naruto who only glared. The blond leaned in and punched Haku in the stomach, releasing his wrist quickly. The boy stumbled back a few feet and Naruto was on him before the brunette could regain his footing.

Naruto slammed against Haku, sending both of them to the ground. Haku regained his bearings first and he shifted the power of position so he was pinning Naruto to the ground. He didn't hit the blond but held them there for a moment. They glared at each other and Naruto flung himself up, sending his opponent to the ground. Haku moved quickly and was on his feet, a kunai in hand. He stabbed Naruto's arm and his hand slid down the kunai to hold onto the blond's arm. With his free hand he quickly began making hand signs. Naruto's eyes widened and he ripped the kunai from his arm, throwing himself to the side in time to avoid a flurry of ice senbon that collided with one another where Naruto had been just seconds before. The blond sighed sharply and rolled out of Haku's way again, a senbon scratching his arm lightly.

He stopped rolling and looked around, confused by the sight of water clones attacking his two teammates. He didn't have time to wallow on the sight of Sasuke and Shikamaru fighting back to back because a flurry of senbon was aimed at him again. Naruto rolled away, not wincing but merely gritting his teeth when he felt some senbon in his leg. He pushed himself up and ran at Haku who looked alarmed by Naruto's sudden offense. Naruto punched Haku, causing the boy to stumble back slightly. He wiped his mouth and Naruto only raised his brows at the boy.

"Why are you fighting me?" Naruto asked lowly. Haku titled his head to the side, strands of brown hair falling into his eyes. "Why? Don't you realize that Zabuza is a killer?" Naruto looked around for the man in question, spotting him about twenty feet away fighting with Kakashi. "Do you see that?" Naruto hissed, pointing at the fighting adults. He looked over to Haku, an expectant glare on his face. Haku looked to where Naruto was pointing and smiled at him.

"The rumors that Zabuza-Sama knows have not been kept secret from me, Naruto," Haku said calmly. His body flickered out of place and Naruto flinched when he felt Haku's breath on his ear. "I know things about you that would make your toes curl." Naruto spun around and Haku leapt back, barely dodging the punch Naruto threw. Haku threw an open palm at Naruto. The heel of his hand hit the blond's nose and Naruto grabbed his wrist, squeezing it tightly until Haku winced and Naruto heard something crack. He released the boy's hand and Haku shook it out. The brunette reached into his shirt with his uninjured hand and Naruto crossed his arms in front of his face, gritting his teeth as the thrown senbon collided with his arms. He lowered his arms and glared at the spot Haku had occupied seconds earlier. He spun around, his eyes furiously seeking out Haku.

Naruto found the brunette with his hand on a kunai in Sasuke's arm, not unlike how Haku had Naruto held earlier. Naruto ripped the senbon out of his arms and ran at the duo only to skid to a halt at the smirk on Haku's face. On a boy with such gentle facial features, that smirk was almost deadly and Naruto felt a chill run through his veins. Haku's voice was low but it carried to the blond whose face became stricken at the words.

"Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors."

There was nothing Naruto could do as the water surrounding them rose up. The blond had to admit Haku's jutsu was impressive. When it finished, there was a dome of ice surrounding Sasuke and Haku. Naruto hissed and launched himself at the nearest ice block. He beat his fists against it, screaming Sasuke's name as he did so. He stopped beating the ice and looked through the small gap between that block and the next block. Sasuke was looking around, confusion on his face. Naruto almost instantly saw why. The small view he was permitted showed that Haku was in each of the blocks across from Naruto. Naruto inhaled harshly when Haku threw senbon at Sasuke. From all the Hakus the blond could see came senbon.

"What the hell?" Naruto hissed sharply. Sasuke cried out when the senbon embedded in his skin but at least he had sense enough to protect his chest and throat.

"SASUKE!" Naruto heard, startling the blond. In all the years he had known Shikamaru, Naruto hadn't known the brunette to get worked up over anything, not even being disturbed from sleep. "What the hell is this?" Naruto shook his head and set off into a jog toward where he could hear his friend yelling. He reached Shikamaru and Tazuna in less than a minute. Shikamaru was hunched over with his hands on his knees, his breathing sharp. He looked up at the sound of Naruto's footsteps and the blond sighed.

"Shikamaru," Naruto said calmly. "We can't break the blocks." Shikamaru glared at him and Naruto only raised his eye brows. The brunette let out a furious yell and he began beating his fists against an ice block. Naruto shot a look at Tazuna who merely shrugged in reply and the blond shook his head, looking back to the icy dome. He peered through another small crack and watched as Sasuke threw a kunai. Naruto was sure his expression was similar to Sasuke's –confused and almost hopeless. The kunai didn't go out of the dome and it didn't fall to the ground. That meant Haku, from the depths of the ice, had the kunai.

"We're not trying _hard enough_!" Shikamaru yelled. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward, grabbing his friend's wrists. The blond pulled Shikamaru to his chest swiftly and stared up a few inches at Shikamaru. The brunette stared those few inches down at him and sighed. Naruto looked at him firmly until Shikamaru pried himself from Naruto's grip. "You have to _try_," Shikamaru hissed. He smacked his fist roughly against Naruto's chest and swept over to Tazuna. "Come, Tazuna-San," Shikamaru said, his tone formal. He ushered the old man across the bridge, toward the village, and shot Naruto one last look over his shoulder before disappearing into the mist.

Naruto put a palm to his forehead and dipped his mouth behind his headband. What was he supposed to do? He was a freaking Genin with no training from a slacker sensei. All he learned was that teamwork was key. One of his teammates was trapped and the other had to leave or else risk a breakdown. He sighed and brought his hands together with his index and middle fingers crossed. He closed his eyes and focused his chakra. When he reopened his eyes, there were three clones around him, all in various states of annoyance.

To the two clones on his right, Naruto said, "You two. Go directly across from us," he motioned between himself and the clone on his left. "We will try to break it apart with force." At the look one of the clones gave him, Naruto answered, "Anything goes. Anything." He looked sternly at all three clones and the two on his right jogged off. Hopefully he got the message across that he didn't care if it hurt him when they dispersed. They needed to get Sasuke away from Haku's jutsu. Naruto grumbled under his breath and pulled out two kunai. He smirked and covered them in chakra, taking from the tree climbing exercise and the taijutsu exercises Kakashi had them do. He pumped chakra into his arms and brought both arms down, slamming his kunai into the ice block. He released them, a glare marring his face when the kunai merely sunk into the ice.

Beside him, the clone had taken a different approach. It was ruthlessly beating away at the ice block it had chosen, chakra clearly covering its arms. Naruto watched the clone, his eyes widening when the clone's shirt sleeve ripped open after grazing the edge of the ice. The blood was also something to be concerned about. Naruto shook himself and he pulled out another kunai, stepping back a few feet. He carefully took aim and threw the kunai through the gap in between ice blocks. It didn't fly out the other end. Naruto watched, horror on his face, as Haku's arm reached out of one of the ice blocks and plucked the kunai from midair. He could almost feel Haku mocking him with a sweet smile.

Naruto stood there, horror still on his face as he struggled to process what he'd just seen. That shouldn't have been possible. The only way that was possible was if Haku controlled the time, space, and velocity of the dome. If that was so, they were so incredibly fucked. It was hard to beat that. Naruto seriously hoped that wasn't true. He hoped that the velocity of his kunai hadn't been very fast. Naruto ran a hand through his hair, his eyes on the gap in the ice. He needed some point of focus. He had been using Sasuke but now the Uchiha was spinning around, as if trying to locate Haku. That was futile. If Naruto was correct, then Haku could travel through the ice and could appear in all of the ices at once and there didn't need to be a main ice block.

"Sasuke," Naruto called out. The Uchiha ignored him. "Sasuke, stop. You won't find him."

Sasuke stopped moving but he didn't acknowledge Naruto's words. He stared straight ahead of him for a moment and Naruto watched him close his eyes. Shit, shit. Naruto's gut was telling him to get Sasuke out of there before the Uchiha fucked up. Naruto swallowed and pushed some chakra into his shoulders. He ran at the gap, barreling through it with force. He toppled into the dome and he looked up in time to see the space where he'd come through close itself so there was just a small gap and not a shoulder shaped gap. Naruto looked around the area, taking notes in his mind.

His hunches were right and the only unproven one was the idea that Haku controlled the time, space, and velocity of the area. Naruto glared at all the Hakus staring at him. Some looked surprised while others looked smug, as if saying 'we'll kill you both in here now'. Sasuke also seemed to get that vibe. His eyes flashed open and he spun around, glaring at Naruto.

"You're such an idiot!" the brunette hollered. Naruto stared up at him, his face devoid of emotion. "You should have stayed outside! Now we're both going to die!"

Naruto arched a brow. "Sasuke," he snapped firmly. "Have you figured this place out yet?" The Uchiha's face took a turn from enraged to guarded and he stared at Naruto. That was a no. "Then shut the hell up." Naruto slowly pushed himself to his feet and he glanced around again, trying to pinpoint the real Haku. He spotted the real one with his arms folded across his chest. "Haku," Naruto said. "Stop. This isn't… You shouldn't be living like this." Naruto knew he found the real one when the boy's eyes flashed and senbon rained down upon them. Naruto hunched in on himself, gritting his teeth and not making a sound as his body began a pin cushion for senbon.

The blond stood up and casually plucked senbon from his body, tossing them to the ground as if they were only slight bothers. The Hakus vanished and three reappeared in a triangle around the boys. Naruto's eyes flashed when all three raised up their arms, kunai in their grips. Was Haku upping the ante simply because Naruto had entered the dome? Logically, the answer would be no but Naruto's gut said otherwise. Haku was scared that he was going to lose. Naruto drew out two kunai and he was vaguely amused to see Sasuke copy him. The kunai flew at them and Naruto easily deflected them. Haku let out a growl and vanished again, one appearing almost at eye level with Naruto. They stared at each other and Naruto cried out in alarm when Sasuke threw himself at the ice, his fist crashing against it painfully.

Naruto stared at Sasuke, his brows raised and his expression dumbfounded. Sasuke called him an idiot yet here he was charging at Haku who was obviously out of their reach. What the hell was his problem? Naruto opened his mouth to scold the Uchiha when Sasuke faced him. Nothing should have been odd about that but the fact that Sasuke's eyes were red with a single tomoe curling near the top of Sasuke's eye startled Naruto. Had he forced the Sharingan to form? That was absurd, wasn't it?

The stunned silence was broken by an angry yell. Naruto took quick steps to peer out of a gap to see what was going on. He was even more startled to see his sensei and the rogue flinging punches at each other while stumbling toward the ice dome. From what Naruto could see, they were both bleeding pretty heavily. However, neither seemed ready to give in. Naruto watched for a few more seconds and was drawn away by Sasuke's voice shrieking his name. Naruto spun around in time to be pinned to a mirror. His face went from confused to horrified in less than a second. Being short seemed to be in his favor because Sasuke's body shielded his from the onslaught from Haku. Naruto didn't see it as a blessing though. He stood there, horror on his face as Sasuke stared down at him with an annoyed expression. His Sharingan had faded away and now his eyes were just empty black orbs. He coughed blood onto Naruto and his body went limp.

Naruto slid to his knees with Sasuke and the Uchiha's limp body fell back, most likely imbedding the senbon deeper into his body. There were senbon sticking out from his shoulders, his skull, the sides of his face, his sides, and basically every part of his body except where he had been in contact with Naruto. The blond stared at the limp Uchiha, his expression completely empty. It was as if he himself had died along with his teammate. He could hear people talking. He was sure it was Zabuza and he knew Haku was probably talking about how he just murdered the last Uchiha in cold blood. Naruto reached out with a shaking hand to touch Sasuke's face and tears sprung into his eyes, sliding down his cheeks. He stared at Sasuke's lifeless face, his heart aching. This was the boy that Itachi left alive. His Itachi left this boy alive for a reason and Naruto just got to see him lose his life. _Itachi _had chosen Sasuke to live. If anyone else had picked the Uchiha before him to be the only living Uchiha, Naruto wouldn't have cared. But it was Itachi. This was Itachi's little brother.

"Sasuke?" Naruto breathed out, the pads of his fingers pressing forcefully into Sasuke's cheek. "Sasuke." His voice was firmer now. His hand trailed down to grip Sasuke's hand and he squeezed it tightly. "Sasuke. Sasuke, wake up." Naruto's voice rose a few octaves as well as in volume. Naruto looked up, away from the Uchiha's dead body. He found one Haku standing directly across from him, a pained look on porcelain features. "Why did you kill him?" Naruto found himself asking.

Haku smiled a sad smile at the blond. "Why are you so upset?" he asked softly.

"Why am I _upset_?" Naruto replied, his voice cracking. "Why am I upset? This is my teammate! He's a stubborn jackass who doesn't know when to quit and he's my teammate."

"Was," Haku corrected, his tone firm. Naruto stared at Haku for a few seconds and the brunette laughed. His laugh was light and airy and seemed to degrade Sasuke's death. "Naruto, is this the first death you've experienced? As a ninja, you will see so much more."

"Why. Did. You. Kill. Sasuke?" Naruto growled, dropping his head. His mouth fell behind his headband and he stared at Sasuke's face. The tears in his eyes sprung up faster until there was a steady flow of silent tears falling down his face.

"You plan on hurting Zabuza-Sama and endangering his life and his work," Haku spoke. "I cannot allow you to put Zabuza-Sama in that kind of danger." Naruto's head shot up and he ignored the pain that hit the back of his neck with the quick motion. "Naruto," Haku sighed. "I love him. Zabuza-Sama saved my life. I owe him mine." Haku looked past Naruto, his gaze something Naruto struggled to place. Was it loving? Haku shook his head and looked back to Naruto. "Of course, a boy like you couldn't understand what it is to love someone, to give someone your life." Naruto choked and he looked back down to Sasuke, reaching out to touch his face. "Or perhaps you do?" Haku's tone was curious and Naruto let out a sob. "Did Sasuke mean that much to you, Naruto?"

Naruto's nails dug into Sasuke's face and he forced himself to withdraw his hand. He pushed himself to his feet and he stared at Haku, his face blank once more. The temperature seemed to drop and Haku's face slid from the sad smile to something akin to terror.

"You kill my teammate," Naruto spoke slowly, "you mock my pain, and you pretend to know me." A cruel smile slid onto Naruto's face and he levelly met Haku's eyes. "I will show you pain." Without any more warning, the ice around them shattered and a violent wave of pure chakra washed over the bridge. The mist vanished, leaving a clear battlefield. Haku was forced from his jutsu as the mirrors shattered and he fell to the ground. Naruto's clones dispersed and a cut appeared on Naruto's arm only to be healed over almost instantly.

The wave of chakra died down and Naruto inhaled, his breathing shaky. The wave of chakra hadn't only affected the bridge. The whisker marks on Naruto's face were darker and the smile on his face revealed sharper canines. His hair seemed to stand on edge and looked wild. His eyes were the most obvious change in him, however. Instead of their normal blue hue, they were a deep, vibrant red. And it was these eyes that were focused on Haku and it was these eyes that instilled such terror in the brunette.

Naruto stared at Haku for a moment and his gaze flickered to Sasuke's dead body. The rage seemed to grow at the sight of the Uchiha and Naruto ran at Haku who barely had time to defend himself before Naruto was upon him, throwing punches with violent speed. Haku dodged to the best of his abilities but he still took a number of punches. He managed to deflect a few but remained on the defensive. Naruto's eyes burned with rage that grew with every punch Haku dodged. With a loud scream, Naruto cocked back his fist and caught Haku in the mouth. Flecks of blood hit Naruto's hand and Haku went flying. He cracked to the bridge with a cry and Naruto stared down at him, his eyes heartless and angry. The blond walked toward Haku, determination and hate rolling off of him. Naruto pulled a kunai from his pouch and he stared at Haku, raising his arm.

The kunai went into Haku's hand and the boy screamed as blood seeped from the wound. Naruto stepped on Haku's ankle and he watched the pain distort Haku's porcelain features, whimpers falling pathetically from the brunette's mouth. Naruto only eased up on the boy's ankle when a snap resounded between them and Haku screamed. His free hand reached over and he ripped the kunai from his palm, throwing it at Naruto who batted it off with his hand. Haku stared up at Naruto, his eyes pleading. His entire position was vulnerable and Naruto only grinned at him.

"You killed Sasuke in cold blood, Haku," Naruto said. His voice was different. It was him talking but, almost like an echo, there was another deeper voice speaking as well.

Haku smiled weakly at the blond. "So the rumors were true." Those words caused Naruto to hesitate. "If only we had a mirror," the brunette mused, smirking listlessly. "Then you could see. Naruto…" Haku looked up at Naruto and the blond stared back, red eyes and brown eyes fighting a silent battle. Naruto pulled out another kunai and a light sheen of red chakra flared out over it. The blond shook his head at Haku and tears sprung to the once-blue eyes, falling silently and slowly down tan cheeks. "Forgive me, Zabuza-Sama," Haku breathed.

"Goodbye, Haku," Naruto whispered. He dropped to his knees between Haku's ankles and his fist tightened around the kunai. There was a pained grunt somewhere ahead of the duo but Naruto paid it no mind. Haku tensed however and Naruto brought the kunai down, crying out in surprise when Haku rolled away from him. Haku shot up and leaned in close to Naruto.

"Sorry," Haku whispered, placing a chaste kiss to the corner of Naruto's mouth. "You won't be taking my life. Duty calls." He squeezed his eyes shut and his body flickered out of place. Naruto stared at the spot Haku had been and dropped the kunai when he heard a pained scream that was definitely Haku. Naruto's head whipped around and a sob escaped his lips at the sight of Kakashi holding Zabuza's sword. The blade of the sword was run straight through Haku's body and Naruto could see about an inch of blade between Haku and Zabuza and the tip of the blade was imbedded in the rogue's body. Naruto was on his feet in seconds and he broke into a sprint, reaching the trio in time to catch Haku's body.

"Naruto?" the blond heard. His brain placed the voice as Shikamaru's and he drew Haku's body close to him, turning so he could look at Shikamaru. Shikamaru was a distance away with Sasuke's dead body. "Naruto, come here." Naruto ignored his longtime friend and looked down at Haku. The porcelain skinned boy smiled at him and reached up, placing a hand on Naruto's face. Naruto let out another sob and Haku turned his head. Naruto followed Haku's eyes over to Zabuza who was pinning Haku with a heavy gaze. Naruto looked down in time to see a smile blossom on Haku's face. In Naruto's arms, Haku went limp and the blond reached out with both hands toward Haku's face. His palms hovered centimetres away from Haku's face as Haku's arm fell from Naruto's own face.

It was silent for a few seconds as Naruto stared at the second dead person of the day. He bit his lip in an effort not to scream and the silence broke. A deep laugh echoed across the bridge as well as a sharp gasp and a cry of Naruto's name in a voice that distinctly sounded like Sasuke. The laughter was what held Naruto's attention, however. He looked up and his eyes zeroed in on Zabuza. Naruto's arms went limp and he stared at the rogue ninja with an expression that was quickly becoming angrier as the laughter continued.

Naruto was on his feet in less than a second, a cloak of red bubbling out of his skin to wrap around him. Naruto stepped over Haku's body and he stood protectively in front of the boy, his eyes on Zabuza.

"Naruto," Kakashi whispered.

"He died for you!" shrieked the blond, his arm flung out to the side to motion generally to Haku. "For you! He loved you!" Zabuza paused in his laughter and he looked at Naruto, a new round of laughter escaping his lips. "How _dare _you." Naruto took a dangerous step forward and his fists clenched. His vision became obscured as the red chakra cloak enveloped him completely. A chakra tail morphed behind the blond and chakra ears sprouted up. Naruto growled, showing fangs that were unnaturally sharp.

Zabuza reached up and ripped off the wrappings that covered his mouth. A grin split his face, showing sharp teeth of his own.

"The rumors were true," Zabuza said, his tone excited. The grin on Zabuza's face quickly vanished when Naruto punched him square in the face, the red chakra giving him extra power. Zabuza let out a laugh as he was forced to fly through the air. He hit the ground and laughed loudly.

[ X x X ]

When Naruto had attacked Haku, Shikamaru ran forward to retrieve Sasuke's fallen body. He didn't move away but instead held Sasuke to him as Haku and Naruto took their fight farther from them and closer to Zabuza and Kakashi. Shikamaru hunched over Sasuke's body and he began inspecting the senbon imbedded in the brunette. There was something familiar to him about the senbon. He distantly heard Naruto sob and something clicked in his brain. There were senbon in Sasuke's neck. Naruto had indicated the spots where the senbon were when they were discussing Zabuza's fake death. Praying that he was right, Shikamaru ripped the senbon forcefully out of Sasuke's neck, pleased when the brunette shot up, gasping for air. Shikamaru looked up in alarm when Sasuke screamed Naruto's name, wondering if Sasuke was experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder so soon. He wasn't. Shikamaru watched in horror as a cloak of red chakra enveloped Naruto's body and the blond punched Zabuza.

"Naruto! Stop!" Sasuke yelled, trying to stand. Shikamaru forced him to stay down and gave him a stern look. He looked back to Naruto and said in a sad tone,

"There's nothing we can do to help him, Sasuke." They looked at each other firmly and pressed their foreheads together for a brief second. "Instead, let's get these senbon out of you. Here." Shikamaru threw Sasuke's arm around his shoulder and stood swiftly with Sasuke. "Lean on me, okay? I know you're not strong right now. Technically you died." Shikamaru sighed at the look Sasuke gave him. He could understand the brunette. Despite the stress of the situation, Shikamaru rarely spoke so much. Shikamaru began walking and together the brunettes reached Tazuna who crouched down and began pulling senbon from Sasuke's legs. On the other side of the bridge, Shikamaru could hear Naruto shouting. His heart ached for the blond but he needed to focus on Sasuke at the moment. The brunettes met gazes and they nodded to each other and Shikamaru set to work to help get out the senbon.


	15. Side Chapter: Weakness

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Not gonna lie, I kind of like screwing with Itachi's brain. As usual, he's OOC here. I struggle writing IC Itachi, I guess. And yes, if you were wondering like I know LuckyTurtle was, Itachi was watching. Sort of short but trust me, this just sent the yaoi content in future chapters through the roof. Also, I really like Kisame.

**Chapter Terminology**: _Baka_: idiot, stupid

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Itachi knew, as soon as he felt the wave of pure chakra crash over the bridge, that they weren't really there to recruit Zabuza. As soon as the mist cleared, Itachi understood the mission. There was no way Zabuza was going to come out of this alive. Not with the Copy Cat Ninja and an enraged Jinchuuriki against him and his apprentice. There were only a few ways for the man to survive and none of those were likely to happen. Itachi almost smiled at that thought; the great Momochi Zabuza would never surrender. Itachi had little experience with the Demon of the Mist but he knew how pride could get in a person's way.

Beside Itachi, Kisame was tense. The Uchiha couldn't even being to fathom what Kisame must have been thinking. By that point, he had to know they were looking at Itachi's brother's team and the Kyuubi jailer. Itachi's mind was swirling as he watched the rage wash over Naruto's face. Did Sasuke really mean that much to Naruto? Why did the thought of that make Itachi angry? He had no right. After all, he was the one who abandoned both boys. They needed each other. So why was he angry?

"Itachi." Kisame's deep voice rumbled between them and Itachi was almost worried that they were heard. Almost, because Uchihas did not worry. Itachi looked over at his partner, amused by the confused look on his face. "Sasuke. He's your brother, right?" Itachi nodded slowly and rolled his eyes when Kisame's face broke into a grin. "I gotcha! You were acting weird, you know. It was bothering me." Itachi arched a brow when Kisame said that and proceeded to look away from the stoic Uchiha.

"Hn," Itachi grunted, looking back to the bridge. Naruto's speed seemed to improve drastically with that wave of chakra, bringing Itachi back to his mission. It was incredible -the power even slight demonic chakra could have on a person's body. Stamina pills and chakra pills could only do so much to a person before they became harmful. In Itachi's experience, though, demonic chakra at a low level was less physically harmful in multiple doses. The Uchiha bit his lip at the sight of Naruto simply pummeling the Mist nin's apprentice. _That is not Naruto_. That thought snapped him to and he looked at Kisame. "Zabuza and Haku are not coming out of this alive."

"Huh?" Kisame turned to Itachi with a dumfounded expression on his face and Itachi resisted the urge to slap his own forehead. He levelly met Kisame's gaze and the man only stared back. "What the hell are you talking about? Did your little bro's death go to your head, Itachi?"

"Don't be such an idiot, Kisame," Itachi snapped back quietly. "Have you really not realized what our mission is?" He looked away from Kisame to watch the fight again. However, his eyes were drawn to Sasuke. His utterly _foolish_ little brother who now rested in Nara's arms, dead. Itachi's arm twitched and he forced himself to look away. He knew if he continued to think about his dead brother and the angry Jinchuuriki, he would do something stupid, like jump into the fray, blow their cover, and screw them over.

Itachi had never thought of Naruto as a killer. Ever. When he was seven, he had innocently asked Itachi if he killed people on ANBU missions. When Itachi had said yes, the small boy burst into tears and asked why Itachi would treat human life so carelessly. Even now, Itachi was unable to come up for an answer. Then, he hugged the sobbing blond and didn't say a word. Now, though, Itachi could only watch as Naruto held a kunai in the air, poised to strike. His heart was pounding and all Itachi could hear was the blood rushing through his ears. Naruto couldn't kill the boy, could he?

"-chi. I. Ta. Chi." Itachi tore his gaze away from the enraged blond and looked at Kisame. "You're upset over your brother's death," the blue skinned man stated firmly. Itachi bit back a scathing remark. If Kisame thought that, it was better. No good would come of him knowing that the Uchiha was fixated on the real mission. "What is the point of watching the Jinchuuriki?" Kisame continued on. Itachi's eyes flickered over to Naruto in time to see the Mist nin's apprentice kiss the blond. What. He watched the boy flicker away and had to wonder why he hadn't done that earlier. It would have saved him from a world of hurt. "Oh Kami," Kisame breathed. Itachi looked up, wondering what Kisame was on about this time. He followed Kisame's gaze and inhaled sharply. The boy was dead, there was no doubt. He couldn't have survived the sword running through his lungs.

What held Kisame's attention though, Itachi was sure, was the vibrant red chakra bubbling up from Naruto's skin at his ankles. The blond didn't seem aware of it, and why should he? First Sasuke and now this boy died in his arms. The chakra continued to bubble and move and it was clear that it was an entity of its own.

"This is why," Itachi spoke quietly, his gaze fixated on the chakra. "We need to know his weaknesses, Kisame." Itachi had a dark feeling that he knew what Naruto's weakness of importance was.

_It was dark out. Itachi had been watching Naruto train –he didn't know what drove him to watch the boy but he did. Itachi refused to acknowledge the lie in that statement. Naruto and Sasuke had been training mindlessly into the night and Itachi wasn't proud to announce that he'd stayed since they began their training while Kakashi and Nara were there. He was even less proud to admit he'd followed them back to the old man's house and kept watch as each boy took a shower._

_Itachi hit an all-time low for himself when the boys went to bed. As he had done the night previous, Itachi broke into the boys' bedroom with a basket of dumplings and peaches. Peaches were also in season and Itachi wanted the blond to know that he was loved, hence the dumplings. He didn't know if the day would turn ugly or not. He did it out of selfishness. Itachi set the basket at the blond's feet and prepared to leave when he heard Naruto speak. A chill ran through his veins at the sound of the boy's voice; had he been caught?_

"_Itachi…" Itachi carefully turned around in the open window and looked down at the boy. He was on his stomach, his head facing the others in his team. His eyes were closed and he was sound asleep. That meant he was dreaming about the murderer in the window. Itachi hesitated. Part of him wanted to leave but he was intrigued now. "Please stay… No… No…" The boy rolled over and Itachi jumped from the window. He hit the ground and stayed low in a crouch, wincing when he heard Naruto shout his name._

"Itachi!" The Uchiha looked up, startled out of his memory. He shot a dark glare at Kisame who only scoffed at him.

"He died for you!" Itachi looked away from his partner and grunted at the sight of Naruto. In the time it took him to recall his memory, the red chakra had covered more than half of Naruto's body. "For you! He loved you!" Was it his imagination or did Itachi catch the scent of salt? The water around them was freshwater so unless someone was crying, that was absurd. No. Zabuza's laughter hit Itachi's ears an anger flared in the Uchiha, his eyes flashing. "How _dare_ you!" Naruto shrieked. Itachi was on his feet in an instant, the tail and ears sprouting out of the red chakra only serving to fuel Itachi's own rage. He prepared to jump from the cover of boxes, wood, and metal that he and his partner had taken when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Itachi looked over and had to look up a bit to see Kisame's eyes. The man's eyes were alight with amusement and he grinned at Itachi, dodging the hand that reached out and closed around where his neck had been seconds earlier.

"Baka Itachi," Kisame snapped quietly, glad they had picked an area where boxes were plently. "If you think we can go out there, think again. There is a rogue ninja who can control the mist. I specialize in water. I think that is enough reason to stay put. In case you need more," the blue skinned man gave Itachi an icy look that merely got an eye brow raise in return, "your brother is alive and most likely angry at being temporarily killed." At those words, Itachi's head snapped around. His gaze sought out his stupid brother and he sighed at the sight of him standing with Nara and the old man. "The other boy seems to have a complex for his team. The Copy Cat Nin is out there. And we have a Jinchuuriki who has already unleashed one tail of chakra." Itachi grunted at Kisame and looked over to Naruto, watching him punch Zabuza. The rogue nin flew a good five feet before hitting the ground. "So, if you want to go out there and die, Baka Itachi, be my guest. If you decide to do that, I'm gonna have to go back to headquarters."

Itachi looked back up at Kisame who stared back at him, his face uncharacteristically serious.

"Hn," Itachi replied, dropping back into his crouch. As much as he hated to admit it (and he never would out loud), Kisame was right. They couldn't afford to blow their cover –they needed to finish the mission.

Itachi couldn't finish the mission though. There was no way he would be able to admit that he knew Naruto's weakness. He would have to lie; Sasuke and Nara were as good as Itachi was going to get. There was no way he could force the words out. He was an Uchiha, so lying to their leader would be no problem. Keeping it bottled up, though, was going to be the problem. Itachi kept his eyes glued to the blond as his mind reeled. These feelings, these thoughts, they couldn't stay locked up. Itachi knew that. He knew what happened when people bottled things up. They exploded. But he couldn't say it.

As when he was preparing to assassinate his clan, Itachi couldn't make himself tell Sasuke what was going on. He wanted to, but he also wanted Sasuke to kill hm. He wanted his brother to know, but he didn't want to put that burden on the eight-year-old. He knew he needed to tell their leader what he knew, but it was a battle of morals in his head. Itachi wasn't supposed to know what he knew, after all. In life, there were going to be things he shouldn't know. What he knew was one of the worst things he knew he shouldn't have known.

He was Naruto's weakness.


	16. Homeward Bound

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Sad content ahead. Some dark thoughts. A couple uses of the 'F' word. Might bump the rating because of that. ALSO! If you have any questions about this arc, ask me now! The answers will go in Wednesday's chapter so ask, ask, ask! It's going to be extra-long (for my writing anyway), because I need to get your questions answered and also there's going to be some 'How This Chapter Affected Shika and Sasuke'. And now, without further ado, enjoy the chapter.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

When Zabuza hit the ground laughing, it only served to piss Naruto off. His mind vaguely registered someone screaming his name but he brushed it off; Zabuza was his only focus. The man –no, he didn't deserve to be called a man, he was a demon- slowly pushed himself to his feet. He wore a grin and it made Naruto's stomach churn. His vision was hazed over with red and he struggled to keep himself calm. Somewhere in his mind, a question was posed. Why did he need to be calm? That was a good question. The man now stalking toward him with a kunai drawn had quit laughing but he was still grinning. The voice that had asked why Naruto should be calm posed a new question: did Zabuza deserve kindness? Did he deserve the kindness Naruto was showing him by being calm?

"Uzumaki Na-ru-to." Naruto inhaled sharply and drew a kunai from his weapons pouch and he heard someone yell at him to stand down. Was he a dog now? A sneer slid into place on Naruto's face and Zabuza chuckled slightly, stopping his leisurely gait. "The rumors about you are true." Naruto's mouth twitched, turning the sneer into a grin reflecting the rogue's own grin. "I wonder if Haku knows that he unleashed the beast." Zabuza paused at that and began to laugh again. Naruto's mouth snapped into a firm line and he growled, jumping at Zabuza who let out a surprised shout at the sudden attack.

Naruto took advantage of Zabuza's brief shock and began swinging his kunai at Zabuza rapidly, attempting to cut the demon man's body. Despite his initial shock, Zabuza managed to dodge the rapid slashes from the Genin. He wasn't a missing nin for nothing, Naruto reasoned as Zabuza blocked the blond's kunai with his own. Naruto stared at the rogue for a second before catching him in the jaw with an open palm. Zabuza stumbled back and Naruto slammed his fist into his stomach. Zabuza coughed lightly and reached out with alarming speed, stopping the kick that the blond had aimed at his head.

The duo briefly made eye contact and Zabuza smirked, tightening his grip on Naruto's shin for a moment. With a grunt, Zabuza picked the blond up by the shin and threw him over his shoulder. Naruto let out a yelp of pain when his elbows collided with the cement of the bridge and the kunai he had went spiraling off somewhere to his right. The rest of his body's impact was significantly less painful because his elbows absorbed most of the pain. That didn't stop the blond from hurting, though. He wasn't given much time to wallow in his pain when Zabuza spun around. He jumped into the air a few feet and dropped into a crouch, his elbow slamming into Naruto's gut. Naruto coughed, blood leaking from his mouth and Zabuza grinned, grabbing the blond's neck. He smirked down at the blond.

"Despite all the rumors," Zabuza spoke, his voice loud and clear, "you're kind of pathetic. How did you beat Haku?" The demon man laughed loudly. "Maybe Haku was pathetic." His eyes widened when Naruto's hands found his wrist and he looked down at the blond in surprise. "What, does it hurt your feelings when I talk bad about Haku? He's dead. He's stupid and he's dead." Zabuza grunted and his eyes flickered around before resting on the red chakra coating the blond. Was it _burning_ his fingers? Naruto's grip tightened around his wrist and with a quick motion, Zabuza's arm was twisted and Naruto's neck was freed.

In another swift motion, Naruto was standing behind Zabuza, holding him by his wrist. Zabuza laughed and brought his other arm around, slamming his fist into Naruto's side. The blond released Zabuza's arm and stumbled away, coughing blood onto the bridge as he stumbled. He easily regained his balance and he jumped at Zabuza who caught his fist, letting it go to duck the other fist that flew at his face. It grazed his chin and Zabuza laughed as the fist came back, catching his shoulder. Zabuza brought his knee up to his chest and he kicked Naruto, his foot hitting the base of Naruto's neck. The blond lost focus and he fell back, landing roughly on his rear. He was there for less than a second and he was on his hands, sending a kick at Zabuza's gut. The red chakra around him seemed to give his kick extra power because Zabuza went flying a few feet. Naruto heard the clattering of metal and could only assume the rogue had dropped his kunai.

Naruto carefully dropped to his hands and knees and he got to his feet, spinning around in time to duck and avoid Zabuza's fist. Naruto looked at his hand, staring at the red chakra as it moved about on its own. Deciding his idea couldn't hurt, the blond curled his hand into a fist and poured some of his own chakra into his fist and he punched his opponent forcefully into the stomach, wincing when his face was splattered with blood as Zabuza coughed.

"Maybe you're not so pathetic, kid," Zabuza said. He drew his foot back and slammed it into Naruto's jaw, sending his head and body flying back. Naruto's head hit the bridge first this time and a sudden surge of chakra went through him as he coughed violently. His body hit the bridge and he inhaled sharply, leaping to his feet. The tail that had sprouted from the chakra seemed larger and was waving as if someone offered Naruto some red bean soup or tamagoyaki. Naruto rolled his neck and he launched himself at Zabuza, sprinting the few feet between them.

Nothing could have prepared Zabuza for the rapid punches he was met with. Every hit Naruto landed on Zabuza caused a burning sensation in him and he was quickly losing the ability to block the punches. The chakra tail didn't stop waving but it slowed down while the chakra ears perked up. Naruto leapt back with a showy flip, Zabuza's fist hanging in the air for a few moments where Naruto's face had been. Naruto sneered and the tail wrapped around him as he jumped back at Zabuza, tackling the man to the ground. Zabuza cried out in shock as the blond took him down and straddled him, a livid look on his face.

Red eyes stared down at Zabuza, nothing but rage in them. There was no pity, no guilt, nothing that symbolized Uzumaki Naruto was in control of his mind. As Naruto's fists raised, Zabuza remembered what it was like to fear, something that he hadn't felt since he was a child.

The fists pounding into Zabuza's face and chest were ruthless. The chakra enveloping them seemed to flare with each hit, leaving the contact area red beneath cloth and bandages. Zabuza attempted to block the barrage of punches to no avail. The red chakra seemed to be enhancing the blond's performance on astronomical levels but Zabuza knew there had to be a stopping point. That didn't stop the rogue from being injured and fearful. Just because there was a stopping point didn't mean the stopping point was in the foreseeable future.

_Why_? Naruto asked himself as he continued beating away at his enemy. _Why did he laugh? He doesn't understand._ Naruto coughed, blood dropping onto Zabuza's face and the rogue lashed out, slamming his fist into Naruto's stomach again, the chakra behind his punch visible. Naruto coughed blood as he was sent back and Zabuza pounced, reversing their positions.

"You're good," Zabuza admitted. "But I am _much_ better."

Naruto sneered and spat on the man, blood and saliva mixing on his cheek. "Fuck you," the blond snarled out. As with Haku, it was Naruto's voice but a deeper voice also spoke, giving the impression that there were two people fighting for control inside of Naruto's head. "Fuck you, you worthless excuse for a human being! Why did you laugh? _Why did you laugh at his death_?" The deeper voice took over the more the blond spoke until it was a simple animalistic roar at the end. Zabuza stared down at him, his expression unreadable. Naruto's cold red eyes met Zabuza's calculating brown ones and Zabuza cracked a smile.

He didn't move and he didn't make any motion to let Naruto have freedom to move about. In fact, Zabuza seemed to settle in and he stared down at Naruto again. "I didn't think he would die for me," the rogue admitted. Naruto would never have imagined a man with such a gruff voice could sound so soft. "When I met Haku, he was eight. That was what… Four years ago?" Zabuza paused briefly. "Yeah. He was curled up on a bridge in the middle of winter wearing ratty clothes. That boy…" Zabuza looked away from Naruto, staring ahead of himself instead. "He should have died before I found him. Fuck, I still don't know why he was alive. He was too damn skinny, his toes and fingers were blue, and he was filthy. I had every intention of just leaving him there to die. I should have." Zabuza looked back to Naruto. "I didn't. I took him back to my village and he got better. Turns out, his father tried to kill him. In retaliation, Haku discovered his Kekkei Genkai, an ice release bloodline, and killed his father instead. His mother was already dead. He had run away when I found him.

"Since then, it was always me and Haku. Honestly, I can't remember a time without him. Haku was a child and he saw things simply. When I betrayed Kirigakure, he didn't ask questions. He packed up our shit and followed me. We got the hell out. We had the necessities and we left. It was always a question of Haku's loyalty. What drove him? Why didn't he just stay in Kiri?" Zabuza looked down at Naruto and their eyes met. "He loved me?" The blond glared up at him darkly. "Heh. He was a fool."

The blond growled and he laced his fingers together, bringing both his hands up to land a punch on Zabuza. The rogue reached out and grabbed the boy's wrists, ignoring the burning the red chakra caused him. The burning only made him aware of the burning the chakra was causing to his nether regions because of the way he was seated. Zabuza growled back at the blond and forcefully pushed his hands down so the blond's thumbs rested on his throat. Zabuza hunched over and stared at the blond.

"You're the fool," Naruto stated, surprising Zabuza. It wasn't the words but how they were delivered. Naruto's voice was flat and emotionless, as if he had given up. To further prove this theory, the red chakra faded away and Naruto's eyes quickly returned to their normal hue.

"Perhaps I am," Zabuza said, sitting back up. He released Naruto's wrists for a brief second and brought his hands together in the ram hand symbol. Naruto didn't flinch or look around; he was tired and he realized Zabuza wasn't going to get the message. The voice in the blond's head had protested but the chakra had withdrawn, leaving a tired and listless blond. He flinched when he heard footsteps, despite his best efforts not to. He looked up, surprised at the sight of Zabuza handing Zabuza his sword. That was right; Zabuza never got it back after Haku died but Kakashi had dropped it.

A wary look rose in Naruto's eyes as Zabuza took the sword and the other Zabuza dispersed into a puddle. Naruto watched as Zabuza held his sword for a moment before giving the blond beneath him a smirk.

"You fight well, Konoha Genin," Zabuza said. "And now I'll claim your life."

Naruto let out a resigned sigh and nodded his head, letting his arms fall to the ground. Perhaps he wasn't meant to protect his ANBU. It shouldn't have been his purpose anyway but Naruto knew that kind of thinking was futile. As long as someone wanted to hurt his ANBU, Naruto would always want to protect his ANBU. Now, though, his ANBU would die. Naruto's heart ached at the thought but he forced himself to ignore it. He'd ignored his heart's aching for years, at least on the outside. Now would be no different. He stared up at Zabuza apathetically, confused to see the rogue laughing.

Zabuza had a cruel laugh. Naruto had been too enraged to notice it earlier but the demon man had a cruel laugh. Zabuza took a deep breath and Naruto only stared at him as he chuckled at Naruto.

"No one has ever been so accepting of death," Zabuza told him. "Keep your life." He grabbed his sword and his body flickered out of place. Naruto carefully got to his feet and he looked around, wondering where the hell the rogue ninja went. He spun around when he heard someone shout. Zabuza was across the bridge at Tazuna.

Kakashi was already making a break toward the old man but Naruto figured he could help. He took off as well, pushing chakra into his feet. Sasuke definitely wasn't in any shape to protect Tazuna (and Naruto had to wonder when Sasuke was brought back to life. Was he a zombie?) and Shikamaru might be able to hold the rogue off. Kakashi flickered out of place and his kunai clashed with the giant sword again.

"Kakashi," Naruto heard Zabuza's voice. "This is getting old."

"Your constant failures are also getting old, Zabuza." Naruto stumbled at the new voice, wincing as he landed on his hands and knees. "This klutz almost defeated you?" Naruto glared at the bridge, unable to come up with any proper comeback through his harsh panting. The blond remained where he was, about ten feet away from Haku's body. Naruto took a sharp breath and he pushed himself up, walking quickly to Haku's body. He stared down at the boy until the new voice spoke yet again. "Zabuza. I had no intention of paying you. Considering your recent failure and now this, I am especially behind this decision." Naruto looked up at the people in front of him. Zabuza's sword was at his side and he was facing Naruto and the new comer. Naruto couldn't accurately discern Zabuza's expression but if he had to guess, he would say it was a very unhappy look. Naruto's mouth twitched and he turned to face the newcomer, his mouth almost dropping in shock. He ground his teeth together to keep himself together at the sight of the hundreds of men gathered on the bridge. When had they arrived? Leading the group of men was a rather short man with a cane and he seemed to be the one speaking.

"Gatou," Zabuza's voice spoke, rumbling across the bridge. Naruto tensed at the presence by his shoulder and he looked up at Zabuza before looking away, his gaze falling on Haku's body at his feet. The air was tense, a steady clack-tap-tap sound the only break in the silence. The voice of the caned man was closer the next time he spoke.

"Is this your apprentice?" Naruto looked up, not at all pleased that he could easily make out the whites of the man's eyes. No answer seemed to satisfy him and he cackled, taking a couple steps forward. Naruto bit his tongue to keep from shouting when the man hit Haku's face with his cane. The Genin's body tensed up but that was nothing compared to the killer intent leaking from beside him. Team Kakashi's first encounter with Zabuza had been child's play in terms of killer intent. Naruto dropped to his knees, swallowing blood from his tongue. He watched the man's foot come up and kick Haku's side repeatedly. The desperation Naruto felt to stop the man wasn't enough to convince his body to move, not with the killer intent pressing down on him. "He's worthless," the man was saying. "He's stupid. I'm sure his death was pathetic. A kitten could have killed him. What a stupid boy. You kept him around, Zabuza? I almost regret missing his death. I wouldn't have minded killing him. I never did like-"

Naruto never got to hear what the man never liked. There was a peculiar sound that reminded the blond of the sushi table at Maki's when the chefs wanted to show off. They would slide their knives together for a few seconds before performing their tricks. The sound Naruto heard was something like that only with more squelching than the sushi chefs would allow. The killer intent eased up and Naruto looked up. Nami no Gatou did not have a head and his body was still standing. The man's head was on the ground and it seemed that his body was ready to follow. It crumbled to the ground and the cane landed against the cement with a clatter. Zabuza scoffed and picked up Gatou's head by his hair, stepping over Haku carefully. Naruto reached over and smoothed out Haku's clothes before looking up to watch Zabuza. The rogue ninja walked toward the group of people, Gatou's cheek hitting his thigh with each step he took. Zabuza stopped about five feet from the mob of people.

He held up the head and spoke. "He's dead. Fuck off." Zabuza tossed the head at one of the men in the group and shouldered his sword. Naruto cried out when a man ran forward and ran his sword through Zabuza's stomach, the tip protruding out of Zabuza's back. Naruto watched the tip move up a little before Zabuza laughed. The man who stabbed Zabuza was soon headless and Zabuza crumpled to the ground. The bridge was silent for a few moments.

"You!" Naruto looked around and found the man Zabuza threw Gatou's head at. He was pointing behind Naruto. "With the silver hair. You're a Jounin. Why didn't you keep our boss from dying?"

"Yeah!" chimed in a woman. "Now who's gonna pay our bills? Youse best be ready to pay up, Konoha freaks." Naruto scoffed and looked down at Haku, running his palm over the boy's cheek where the cane had hit. "We is gonna have to kill you!" Naruto rolled his eyes but looked up in alarm when he heard the woman scream. There was a kitchen knife between her eyes. She crumpled to the ground.

Naruto raised his brows and looked around for the source of the kitchen knife. Standing between him and his teammates were the villagers from Mizugakure. Tsunami and Inari stood at the front of the group and Naruto had to wonder what he missed that would cause the young boy to show up to fight with ninja.

"Get out of our village," Tsunami spoke, her voice firm. A chill ran down Naruto's spine. Had she been the one to kill that woman? Oh Kami. "Now." Her tone was dark and Naruto was honestly not surprised when he heard people screaming. He looked in time to see the mob stampeding off the bridge. Tsunami sighed in relief and Naruto shakily got to his feet. He made his way over to Zabuza's fallen body, pulling the knife out of his stomach.

"Uzumaki…" the rogue breathed out. Naruto blinked and looked at the demon man. He wasn't dead? "Do me… a favor…" Naruto quirked a brow and looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Kakashi was standing behind him, looking at the blond and the rogue with a peculiar look in his eyes. "Kakashi…" Zabuza coughed and Naruto wiped the blood off his face. "Take me… to Ha… to Haku…" He coughed again and Kakashi walked around them so he was on Zabuza's other side. He picked the ninja up and looked at Naruto.

"Naruto," he snapped. The blond jumped to his feet despite his fatigue. "Go move Gatou's body." Naruto turned and jogged slowly over to Haku and Gatou and he dragged the larger body away from the boy, dropping him by a large stack of boxes. Naruto looked up at the boxes in confusion. He looked around, not seeing anyone. He could have sworn someone was staring at him though. Had he also imagined the glimpse of black hair? Yes, he had to have. Naruto gave the boxes on last look and stepped over Gatou's body, walking back to Haku.

The villagers had begun to thin until mainly men remained. There were a couple women, including Tsunami, and Inari was still there. Sasuke and Shikamaru were making their way through the thinning group, Tazuna on their heels. Naruto stopped walking and looked over to Haku. He clapped a hand over his mouth when Kakashi laid Zabuza down beside the dead boy. Zabuza grunted and turned his head, lifting his hand to caress Haku's cheek. Naruto's knees buckled and he fell, his eyes trained on the rogue ninja. Naruto's hand slowly slid from his mouth and he watched the man of the Mist.

"Haku…" Naruto crawled forward, wondering what more Zabuza could say. "I hope… I can… I can go… where you're at…" He coughed. "Haku… I lo… I lo…" Tears sprung to Naruto's eyes and he dropped his forehead to the bridge floor, his mouth falling behind his headband. He listened, hoping he could hear Zabuza finish his statement. When, after a full minute, he didn't, Naruto screamed and the tears rolled freely down his cheeks.

The arms around his waist didn't faze him. All he could do was sob. Would that happen to him? Would he end up like Zabuza? Would Naruto be dying with his ANBU near? Would the opportunity for Naruto to confess his feelings arise only for death to take him? The arms around his waist shifted so they were behind his neck and under his knees. His head was still ducked, his mouth sobbing into his headband. That couldn't happen to him. Naruto couldn't let it happen to him. He had to become strong enough that he wouldn't die before he knew. Itachi would know and Naruto wouldn't let anything stop him. He wouldn't die. And Itachi would know.

[ X x X ]

That night, Naruto's nightmare was different. In eight years, Naruto didn't dream of Uchiha Itachi, not entirely. He dreamed he was Haku and that he died to save Itachi but then Naruto (one who looked like Naruto) brought him back to life only to be killed by Zabuza. Naruto killed Zabuza and the two went to heaven.

He woke up earlier than usual, not sure how he arrived back at Tsunami's house. There was a basket of raspberries at his feet. Naruto stared at the basket and drew his knees to his chest, hiding his face in his hands. Itachi was bringing him these baskets. And Itachi had been there at the bridge. That was why there were no dumplings. Itachi knew Naruto better than anyone, save the blond himself. Itachi knew that it wasn't going to be okay and that dumplings would be condescending to the blond. It wasn't going to be okay and until Naruto was stronger, it would never be okay.

Eventually, Naruto pulled himself together and he made his way into the shower, hoping that the hot water could wash away his aches and pains, both mental and physical. After the fight the day previous, Naruto was a little fearful of what his body was going to look like so he avoided the mirror. He didn't want to see cuts and bruises. What was worse, he didn't want to see clear skin that should be marred. Naruto didn't think he would be able to handle that.

The day passed by rather slow after Naruto got passed the fact that Sasuke was alive for real and not a zombie. The team and Tazuna went to the bridge where a troupe of men waited, ready to help build the bridge. Naruto made a handful of clones, considering his clones were tangible and able to take hits, to help and the bridge building hurried along quickly. The days were still slow. Kakashi asked to speak with Naruto before the bridge was finished but also when Naruto was more himself. Naruto wasn't sure when that was going to be. The days turned into a week and then two weeks before the bridge was finished. Team Seven rested a couple of days at Tsunami's place before they got ready to leave.

The sendoff for the Konoha Ninja was considerably larger than their welcome. The team received a boisterous applause which only Sasuke and Shikamaru seemed to really take to heart.

"Thank you," Tazuna said calmly, bowing to each of the Konoha nin in turn. "I'm sorry I was deceptive. Please forgive me." His eyes shot to Naruto briefly before he looked back to Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled with his eye, something he hadn't managed to do since their enemies passed. "Such is the life of a ninja. Perhaps my Genin grew up too fast but it had to happen." He clapped Shikamaru and Sasuke on the shoulders and let his hands rest for a few seconds before he clapped his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "It's time to go home," Kakashi said aloud. "I think we all need some rest." He gave Naruto's shoulders a squeeze.

"Wait!" Tazuna exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you. We," he motioned to himself and the farewell group behind him, "came up with the name of our wonderful bridge." Naruto looked over, his eye brows raised in curiosity. "You are the first people to completely cross the Great Haku Bridge." Naruto's grip on his backpack straps tightened and Kakashi squeezed his shoulders tighter. Both of them began laughing, however, causing Shikamaru to jump and Sasuke to stare at them with wide eyes.

Naruto's laughter ceased first and he spoke. "The Great Haku Bridge, huh?" His voice hitched at the end and he smiled slightly at Tazuna. "I'll be sure to remember that one." The smile slid from his face all too easily, telling everyone that it was a bit forced. Naruto looked at his teammates. "Let's go home." Shikamaru nodded slowly as did Sasuke and the Uchiha glanced at Shikamaru who gave a loud sigh and smiled forcefully.

"Bye," Shikamaru called monotonously, waving to the group of people. Sasuke merely lifted his hand. Kakashi released Naruto's shoulders and gave a two fingered salute and the blond of the team bowed. Together, Team Seven turned and began making their way across the bridge and home to Konohagakure.


	17. Side Chapter: Strength Matters

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** More sad thoughts. This should explain a bunch of things. If you still have any questions, shoot me a PM or ask via review, whichever you prefer. Enjoy.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Shikamaru was rather rattled. The whole ordeal with Zabuza shook him to the core. He was sure, though, that of his team he suffered the least mental damage. Sasuke died, Kakashi killed a boy, and Naruto… Well, Shikamaru had no idea what to think of his blond teammate's reaction to what happened. The young Nara watched his teammate almost kill the boy working with Zabuza and he watched him get worked up over the boy's death. That was something that didn't make sense to Shikamaru. Perhaps there was something he missed? A reason for all of Naruto's reactions. There had to be, though Shikamaru wasn't really sure what he could have missed.

Of the team, Shikamaru had come to realize, he was also their weak link. Before and after graduation, his father had started to teach him their clan jutsu, but not much came of it. Shikamaru had little motivation and it was obvious when he barely started to produce the Shadow Possession Jutsu the week before their mission. There had been nothing driving him to actually learn the jutsus of the Nara clan. And then he watched Uchiha Sasuke die and Uzumaki Naruto break down into hysterics and madness. And there was nothing worse than that, in Shikamaru's mind. Nothing. Sasuke was an Uchiha and they were renowned for being strong. In the academy, Sasuke was a prodigy. The fact that he died rattled the foundations of Shikamaru's world quite a bit. The fact that it was a temporary death meant nothing; he still passed on.

Then there was Naruto. In all the years Shikamaru and Naruto had been friends, Naruto rarely smiled. He was cynical and made inappropriate jokes about death and rape and those kinds of things. He had a dark sense of humor and didn't laugh easily. And in the years they had been friends, Naruto never cried. Shikamaru had never seen him cry. So to see him screaming and sobbing hysterically over some boy and a psychopathic man he'd met a week before rattled him. To see him hurting to the point that Kakashi was the only reason he got into pajamas and into bed was something that struck Shikamaru.

So while Shikamaru didn't die and he didn't form an awful attachment to crazy people, Shikamaru was affected. The people that he thought to be strong, the people who he thought, when he was assigned on their Genin team, he could rely on turned out to be less than he thought of them. It wasn't bad, not at all. It was good for Shikamaru. At home, his mother was insane. He couldn't rely on women. So he put those boys on a pedestal and seeing them act so human made Shikamaru realize a few things. His teammates were breakable humans. His teammates weren't all powerful. For once, Shikamaru had a reason to do things: he loved his team.

Shikamaru had helped Sasuke back to Tsunami's house while Kakashi carried a sobbing Naruto and Shikamaru had to accept a few things. He accepted the fact that he needed to get serious about his training. It was going to be troublesome, that was a given, but if he was ever in a situation like the fight with Zabuza again, Shikamaru was not going to be the weak boy standing to the side. Not again. He was the heir to the Nara family and while his attitude would probably take years to adjust, his skills could quickly develop.

Perhaps Shikamaru had reached a learning point. He knew that everyone had points in their lives when things just clicked. Perhaps he had reached one of those points in his life. It wasn't just Naruto and Sasuke at risk by his lack of skill. He was putting himself at risk by choosing to hold back and being lazy. He needed to fix that. Shikamaru sighed and dropped his head against the kitchen table, ignoring Tazuna and Tsunami's surprised shouts and Kakashi's voice asking him if he was okay or if he needed to go lay down with his team.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru replied instead.

[ X x X ]

There were few things more unpleasant than dying. Actually, Sasuke wasn't sure there was anything more unpleasant than dying. It had been so cold. There were pins in his limbs and all he was able to do was lay silently in a black abyss. He couldn't make a sound, he couldn't hear anything, and all he could see was himself. There was nothing. It was simply terrifying. Sasuke had only known true terror when his clan was murdered. Even then, he knew that he could make amends; he could make up for it. But the abyss of death Sasuke hadn't been sure he was able to escape.

The sight of Nara Shikamaru staring at him with terrified eyes was something Sasuke would never forget. He would hold on to the image of his worried teammate for as long as he lived. No one had worried over him since his mother passed; no one needed to. Dying, though, was something that infinitely required worry. Shikamaru was there and it was going to be okay.

Sasuke couldn't shake the chill he had, though. It was in his gut and the back of his mind and at night, the chill seemed to seep into his bones. It was like it was promising it would be back. Not soon, but it would return. The Uchiha would never admit it but he was scared of the chill. It was the chill of death and it was trying to hurt him. Sasuke could feel it pulling at his mind, picking him apart, whispering innocent nothings in his ears at night. That was why he was glad that Shikamaru had been the one to bring him back. Shikamaru was level headed and he took things with no questions. Sasuke was sure Shikamaru saved his mind. Whenever the chill began to creep at Sasuke's mind and pull at the strings of sanity, Sasuke would roll over and look at his teammate and the chill would go away.

There might have been something that came close to being as unpleasant as death. Naruto's scream. Sasuke had never heard someone sound as broken as his blond teammate had when he screamed. That scared Sasuke. He never knew someone could sound so ruined. And honestly, Sasuke didn't know what had caused it. From what Shikamaru told him, Naruto had been ready to kill the boy (who Sasuke had previously thought was female) but the boy sacrificed himself for Zabuza. That was when Naruto snapped and when Sasuke was brought back from the abyss.

Naruto was strong. Sasuke had realized this when he watched Naruto fight the rogue Mist nin. He was wicked strong. Sasuke realized that if Naruto ever went against him, their skill levels wouldn't be equal. Naruto would ruin him. That was something Sasuke couldn't accept. If he was defeated, he would never be able to find and kill Itachi. That man, that psychotic murderer, had to die. Which meant Sasuke had to start basing his training around Naruto's skill level. If someone like Naruto could beat someone like Zabuza, Sasuke really had to man up and start training. Something had been bothering Shikamaru lately, Sasuke had also noticed. And he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. If it was what he thought, there was a chance Sasuke could get Shikamaru to spar with him and train with him outside of team training and meets. Then they would both progress.

Either way, Sasuke had to get stronger. Itachi couldn't be allowed to live.

[ X x X ]

The day the bridge was built, Naruto sought Kakashi out and they agreed to meet at the bridge the following day. They weren't set to leave for a couple of days so Naruto figured it was better late than never to have their discussion. Naruto couldn't fathom what Kakashi wanted to talk about. The only thing Naruto could think of was Zabuza and everything he had been saying. All the strange things he said had bothered Naruto immensely. There were rumors about him and Kakashi also knew those rumors. Zabuza had been strangely familiar with Kakashi, something that really bothered Naruto. Zabuza was a missing Mist nin and Kakashi was a Konoha Jounin. Something wasn't adding up.

When Naruto and Kakashi met, the sun was barely coming up. There was a slight light cast over the bridge and a light sheen of mist. The sound of the lake sloshed easily against the bridge and the beach and birds trilled happily to one another.

"Good morning, Naruto," Kakashi greeted, his tone cheerful. Naruto murmured a greeting back and ducked his mouth behind his headband, his eyes focused on the ground. Silence fell for a moment between them. "Come with me," Kakashi spoke. Naruto didn't look up when he felt a hand on his arm. It could only be Kakashi. Naruto silently let Kakashi lead him away, his gaze on the ground that quickly turned from cement to dirt speckled with rocks. He didn't look up until Kakashi had them stop. When he did, Naruto felt his knees go weak.

Before him were two mounts of dirt, one with Zabuza's sword at the head, one with Haku's mask at the head. Only Kakashi's grip on his shoulder kept him conscious of his surroundings and the fact that he shouldn't break down. Naruto's heart ached, though. He wished Haku hadn't died. Naruto wished it wasn't necessary for Haku to die. The blond stared at the graves and dragged his gaze away, his eyes glistening as he looked at Kakashi.

"Did you do this, Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied, his eye on the graves. Naruto looked back to them as well. "A couple of the villagers helped me move the bodies. They're together now, Naruto." Naruto flinched and looked away from both the graves an Kakashi, focusing on the ground to his right. "I thought the cliff would be good for them." Naruto grunted and Kakashi forced a harsh laugh. "Naruto, we need to talk."

"About?" Naruto asked quickly, looking over to his sensei who hadn't moved his eye from the graves. The blond waited, trying his best not to look at the graves. It hurt his heart. Haku died too young. He really should not have died. Naruto had tried to reason with himself about Haku's death but he really couldn't. Haku didn't need to die.

"Pick a topic," Kakashi supplied after a moment.

Naruto bit his lip and looked over to the graves for a quick moment. He closed his eyes and slid to his knees, shifting so he sat cross-legged on the ground. The blond sighed quietly and brought his hands up to hide his eyes. "What are the rumors Zabuza was talking about? You know, Sensei. I know you know." Naruto didn't look up or move as Kakashi shuffled and shifted beside him.

"What do you know about the Kyuubi?" Kakashi asked.

"Not much," Naruto admitted quietly. "He attacked the village and the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to kill the demon." There was a twinge at the back of Naruto's mind that he pushed aside as a subconscious reaction to the words he spoke. He never really believed what happened. After all, killing the strongest demon known to man was an incredible feat. One man couldn't have simply killed the beast. The same twinge in his mind pulled again and Naruto sighed softly.

"That's the story in the Konoha history books. No one outside of the ninja and civilians that survived the attack know what happened to the Kyuubi. As such, rumors got started. The Kyuubi no Kitsune simply vanished from the world. There was no way that could happen, right?" Naruto grunted and Kakashi chuckled again although Naruto could tell he was forcing himself more than he had before the mission. "People began to talk. There were rumors all over the place. Some people were saying that the Yondaime controlled the Kyuubi and convinced him to leave so he looked like a hero and he also went into hiding with the demon. Some say the Kyuubi took pity upon Konoha and promised to leave the village alone in exchange for the Yondaime's life. Some say the demon never existed. People even speculated that the Kyuubi was a Genjutsu cover for a massacre to cut down overpopulation." Naruto scoffed at that. The theories people came up with were absurd. "There are hundreds of rumors, Naruto. The one Zabuza was judging from was the rumor that has more votes of truth than the others. That the Kyuubi was sealed into a vessel, a Jinchuuriki, at the cost of the Yondaime's life."

Naruto looked up, staring at Kakashi. The Jounin's eye was still fixated on the graves. The Kyuubi was sealed away into a person? That didn't make sense. Wouldn't the Sandaime Hokage have done something to the vessel? Naruto bit his lip. Wait. "What are you saying?" Naruto asked, his voice shakier than he wanted it to sound. It reflected his conflicted emotions, something he didn't want out in the open. "No. No, no, no, no, no!" Naruto exclaimed. "No. What are you talking about? No. I'm not… I'm not!"

Kakashi tore his gaze away from the graves to look at the blond. His eye was cold and Naruto couldn't find any sense of joking in his eye or in his body language. Naruto shook his head slowly, dropping it back into his hands. That couldn't be true. He wasn't the Kyuubi's vessel. He wasn't.

But it explained everything that had happened during their fight. The chakra he expelled, the red haze, the increased speed. No. Naruto didn't want it to be true. How could it be true? That wasn't fair to him. How could the Yondaime have done something like that to him? How dare he? Naruto had to have been the unlucky boy born on the day of the Kyuubi attack who was orphaned straight away due to the attack. Why? It was unfair. Naruto flinched when he felt Kakashi's hand on his shoulder and continued shaking his head. No. That wasn't okay.

Kakashi inhaled slightly and still the blond shook his head. "Naruto," the Jounin spoke. "Look at me." Naruto shook his head. "Naruto." With a sigh, the blond looked up at Kakashi, meeting his eye. "You are not the Kyuubi. He is simply sealed within you."

"And he has access to my chakra," Naruto stated flatly, staring at his sensei who sighed and shook his head.

"It's only because you don't have strong enough chakra control. When you can control your chakra better, you will be able to manipulate your chakra to cut off his chakra." Naruto almost laughed at the unspoken _or vice versa_ that echoed following Kakashi's words. Naruto knew Kakashi wouldn't say them. It wouldn't do to imply that his student was inclined toward the darker side of chakra usage.

Naruto took a shaky breath and his voice was stronger when he spoke. "How do you know Zabuza? Rather, how did you know Zabuza?" Naruto dropped his head into his hands again. "And don't lie to me, Kakashi-Sensei. Just… Just don't. Please don't."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Kakashi answered. Naruto kept his head in the hands. It was his way of giving Kakashi a moment to himself. After all, dragging up memories could be difficult. It helped that Naruto didn't want to look at the graves of their fallen enemies. He was sure if he looked at them while Kakashi told his story, Naruto would break down. He was still a wreck. His nightmares had changed and Naruto never thought he would be yearning for the heartbreaking dream of Itachi being lost. His nightmares were more like memories, except he wasn't participating. He was sitting on some boxes with Itachi and Haku's spirit. It was horrible. Haku would whisper nasty things to Naruto and Itachi would encourage the words. All the while, the Naruto wrapped in the red chakra would scream and fight and the screams just hurt.

"Fourteen years ago, I was sent on a solo mission in Kirigakure. A Konoha nin had attempted to go rogue and was in hiding there. My sources easily located him and the mission was simple. Find, interrogate, and kill. I was supposed to see if he'd revealed any Konoha secrets to any Kirigakure ninja or civilians. I spent a week scouting the area around his hide-away and I spent another week making my plan. The day I planned to make my move, _he_ appeared. Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist. I had only heard of him. In Kirigakure, they used to have exams each year for graduation to Genin. The Genin candidates were thrown into an arena and they would fight to the death. The last living student was promoted to Genin." Naruto swallowed; that sounded terrible. What kind of place would do that? A sneer delighted across the blond's face. Everywhere but Konoha. Konoha was the nicest of the Shinobi nations, the least bloodthirsty. Everywhere but Konoha would be likely to have that kind of test.

"Two years before this mission, those exams were ceased. When the time for the exams came, a student snuck in who wasn't on the roster to graduate. It took him less than an hour to slaughter all of the participants. It was immediately put on hold but the boy was still passed as a Genin. Two years later, I met him." Naruto looked up at Kakashi, his eye brows high. Zabuza did that? Somehow, that didn't surprise the blond. It disgusted him but didn't surprise him. "My target was considered a threat to Kirigakure. Zabuza was still loyal to Kirigakure and Mizu no Kuni at this time, so he was sent to find and kill the threat. Our missions clashed. We ended up fighting and he retreated quickly, falling beneath my Sharingan." Naruto got the impression that his sensei was smiling at the memory. "Before he left, he promised me we would fight again. Ten years ago, I was sent on a recon mission back to Kirigakure. The famed Demon of the Mist had betrayed Mizu no Kuni and I was supposed to investigate. He found me before I could find him. My team and I agreed to split up so, once again, it was just Zabuza and me. He was a fighter. When I first met him, he had been twelve. He had grown by the age of sixteen. It was incredible. His strength was still no match for me, not to brag." Kakashi turned and tossed a wink in Naruto's direction. The blond shook his head and dropped his head back into his hands. "In the end, he forfeited and left the fight. He dropped off the radar for a few years and by this time, I was working on the Genin teaching side of being a Jounin so I was unable to go meet him when he came back on the radar. Our team we sent came back with two missing, one dead, and one dying."

Naruto sat up and let his gaze settle on the graves of the missing nin and his apprentice. Zabuza had fought Kakashi before? Naruto shook his head and carefully pushed himself to his feet. He turned and looked at Kakashi.

"Zabuza was a bad man," Naruto voiced, his tone flat, "and Haku was misled. Haku didn't deserve to die. But Zabuza got what he deserved." Kakashi looked up, alarm written on his face. Naruto stared down at him flatly. "He laughed at Haku's love. Everything he got, he deserved."

"Naruto, that's absurd," Kakashi replied, rising to his feet as well. He put his hands on his student's shoulders. "Haku wasn't misled. He knew what he was doing. They both got what they deserved." Naruto stared up at him, fury and apathy raging a battle in his eyes. Finally, the blond shrugged Kakashi's hands off his shoulders and turned, walking away. "Naruto," Kakashi called. "I know it may seem that Haku was only misled." Naruto stopped walking. "But you said it yourself. Love. Zabuza laughed at his love. Love was what led Haku. Try to understand that."

If only Kakashi knew how his words affected Naruto.

[ X x X ]

Team Seven's walk home was silent. Across the bridge, the walk only took a few hours so they were home in record time, at least compared to if they had taken the way they went to Nami no Kunai back to their home. Kakashi quickly checked the team in with the guards and dismissed the boys, telling them to meet the next day at the academy as usual. Nothing had changed. At least, that was how he was acting.

Naruto went home and unpacked his bag. He made himself some ramen and sprawled out on the couch, eating it. When he was done eating, the blond just laid there. What else was he supposed to do? Track down Shikamaru or Sasuke and ask for company? Yeah right. They spent three weeks in the same house. Naruto was glad to be away from them despite the need for company. The blond briefly thought about seeking out Sai but decided against it. His apathetic friend wasn't very forgiving so their fight the day before Team Seven left was probably still on Sai's brain. Naruto stayed in his apartment for a few hours before he started getting antsy. After stretching, the blond donned his shoes and he left the apartment, heading straight for Maki's.

He greeted the seating host and was quickly taking to his usual booth. That was what Naruto liked about Maki's; they served everyone, no questions asked. Naruto's usual waitress, a woman named Kira, showed up to take his order and they chatted about how business was going before Kira ran to put his order in. Maki's was a great decision.

And Naruto couldn't shake Kakashi's words the day before. _Try to understand_, he said. Naruto understood perfectly. That was why he was so worked up over it. He knew what he was talking about. Haku died out of misleading words and promises and faith. Haku died because he wasn't strong enough. That's where it all ended up for Naruto. Strength. Because Haku wasn't strong enough, he died. Naruto couldn't die. He wasn't strong either and that was unacceptable. Naruto quickly ate his meal and paid and he made his way home. He curled up in his bed, the bed he had missed the comfort of, and he fell asleep.

For the first time in weeks, Naruto dreamed that he couldn't find Itachi. It left him feeling rested. And pathetic. He wasn't strong enough and his mind would probably lord that over him until he was strong enough. Haku wasn't strong and Naruto wasn't strong. That's all there was to it.


	18. Relaxation and D Ranks

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Mentions male anatomy. Non-sexually. Just awkwardly. The next arc in the story is setting up behind the scenes! Also, Sasuke's birthday is next week. Not in the story but he was born July 23. So there will be a birthday side-chapter coming up soon so suggestions for gifts or anything are welcome. Now enjoy the chapter.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

The morning was calm. Outside, the sun was peeking in slowly, bathing the village in its warmth and lighting up dark rooms with a soft yellow glow. Birds chattered to one another, dogs began to wake up and go about barking, cats were stretching in windows and on roof tops, and people were getting ready to start their days.

In a rundown apartment on the east side of Konohagakure, a young blond was just waking up despite the fact that he didn't need to be anywhere until eight that morning. Uzumaki Naruto was always an early riser –anyone who knew him would know that. That morning, though, he was rather justified in waking up early. The clock on his bedside table blinked four thirty am at him in bright orange letters. Not only had he slept past his usual waking time, he had slept for twelve hours.

Naruto yawned and stretched his arms above his head before he leaned back against his pillows. He drew his knees to his chest and sighed softly to himself, looking around his room. It was barely illuminated but that was alright. It was early and Naruto didn't mind not being able to see his room. The important thing was that he was home. The mission to the village of Mizugakure in Nami no Kuni had been very tiring for the blond. It had technically been classified as a B rank mission; something their team definitely hadn't been prepared for. And now Naruto got to rest from all his efforts. The wounds he had sustained during the various battles in Nami had healed rather quickly the days following Zabuza and Gatou's defeat.

The blond stretched out his arms experimentally, pleased that he could actually move them properly. His elbows had been pretty tarnished after the fight, what with being slammed around into the cement of the bridge a few times. Naruto sighed to himself and shook his head; he needed to get his mind out of the past. It would do him no good to dwell on the pain sustained and the losses suffered.

With a grunt, Naruto pushed himself out of his bed. He stood there for a few seconds, taking in his room. He was definitely glad to be home. With that chipper thought in his mind, Naruto quickly got a change of clothes and he made his way to the bathroom in his apartment. He left his clean clothes folded outside the door while his dirty clothes were tossed haphazardly out into the hall. Naruto quickly washed himself off in the shower while the tub filled to his left. It was a relief to the blond to wash all the dirt and stress away in the sanctity of his own home. The blond finished rinsing down and he tested the bath. He shut the water off and easily slid into the water, not minding as some of the water flowed out over the side of his tub. He draped his arms over the back of the tub and sighed in content, relaxing his muscles. He let himself sit there with the water steaming around him, warming his bones and softening his aching muscles.

The room was quiet. Naruto's steady breathing and the occasional sloshing of the water filled the air. The blond's bathroom had no windows, the way he liked it. He had deliberately picked out the apartment with no windows in the bathroom because that was what he preferred. No annoying birds could chatter outside and disrupt his relaxation time, which was good. Birds were tedious but they also symbolized life in an area. Birds wouldn't stick around if there wasn't anything or anyone at a location. It didn't change the fact that their chattering grated Naruto's nerves. The lack of windows also created a lack of perverts. Naruto knew he wasn't the most attractive person but that didn't stop creepy old men from peeking. They tried that in his bedroom, after all.

_Stop thinking_, he scolded himself. _Relax_. Naruto sighed and submerged his body in the water, head and all. He shook his head under water and broke surface with a small smile on his face. He sighed and brought his hands up to ring out some of the water from his short spikes of blond hair. He blinked as water rivulets ran down his nose and he scrunched his eyes closed as the water ran over his eyes.

The peace of the moment lasted barely a few seconds. Outside of the bathroom, there was a sound. Naruto cocked his head to the side, his body tense despite the warm water's best efforts to soothe his body. He did not imagine the sound. However, his mind couldn't place where he knew the sound from. There were more sounds coming from the hallway and Naruto jumped when the bathroom door swung open. He whirled around in the tub, pushing himself to his knees as water sloshed over the sides. There was a moment of quiet as Naruto stared at the intruder, his face almost comically blank.

"Sai," Naruto began in a quiet voice. "Why didn't you knock?"

He set his eyes on Sai who stood in the bathroom doorway holding Naruto's clean clothes in one arm. The fourteen year old blinked at the twelve year old. He looked at Naruto and then at the blond's clothes and then at Naruto once again. "I can see your penis," Sai said bluntly. Naruto looked down and sighed, shaking his head at Sai. He twisted and let his body slide back into the tub. "I knocked at the front door," Sai continued as if he hadn't just pointed out Naruto's anatomy.

"How long before you realize that you should have knocked at the bathroom door?" Naruto groused. He looked up at Sai who had his brows scrunched together. Naruto watched comprehension dawn on the black haired teen's face and he took two steps back, shutting the bathroom door behind him. Naruto arched a brow when a firm knock came at the door.

"May I come in, Naruto?" Sai called. Naruto scoffed and rolled his eyes as the door opened again. He leaned forward and unplugged the tub, looking at his companion.

"What do you want, Sai?" Naruto questioned, standing. He shook the water off of himself and walked over to Sai, pushing through his clothes. He pulled on his briefs and walked passed Sai and toward the kitchen. He didn't hear Sai follow but that didn't mean he wasn't following. Naruto glanced over his shoulder and watched Sai put down the blond's clean clothes on the kitchen table. He sighed again and walked over to the fridge, pulling out some eggs, bread, and butter. He glanced at Sai. "Breakfast?" He shrugged when Sai shook his head. "Fine."

Naruto walked over to his cupboards and crouched down, opening one. He reached in and pulled out a pan. Sai took that as his cue to speak. "I was informed of your mission to Nami no Kuni," he stated firmly. "I wish for you to realize that the boy would have died anyway." The pan clattered to the floor as did a slice of bread. Naruto took a deep breath and set the butter knife down. "From what I heard, he was very much driven by love. He would have ended up suicidal had you managed to save him." Naruto spun around, rage and sorrow flashing across his face.

"And how would you know, Sai?" the blond spat. "You don't feel anything! I've known you for three years and you don't feel! You have no emotions, Sai! None! So how would you know what would have happened to Haku?" Naruto stepped back, his lower back bumping into the sink, as the sight of the sad smile on Sai's face. Naruto wanted to convince himself that Sai felt obligated to smile but with a smile like that, Naruto couldn't.

"What I was informed of sounded disturbingly similar to a blond Genin that I know," Sai answered, the smile sliding off his face. He walked into the kitchen and he nudged Naruto to the side, crouching down. Naruto backed up, giving Sai some room as he cleaned up the small mess Naruto created. "Get dressed," Sai ordered. Naruto nodded numbly and he turned, walking over to where Sai set his clothes. He pulled on the pants and slid on the white long-sleeved shirt, a black sleeveless vest going on after the shirt. Naruto zipped up the vest and he grabbed his headband, tying it around his neck.

The blond stood there for a moment, watching Sai cut a hole in the bread. When Sai finished that, Naruto turned and walked into the living room of his apartment. He dropped down onto the couch and curled into a ball, his eyes on the wall across from him. The apartment was quiet. Usually, when Naruto had company, it wasn't quiet. He usually attempted conversation with Sai but now, he couldn't imagine having a civil discussion with the emotionless boy. The quiet was broken when Sai informed Naruto his breakfast was ready. The blond got off the couch and walked back over to Sai, taking the plate and fork offered.

"Egg in a basket," Naruto said aloud. "Have you been in Maki's kitchen lately?" Naruto looked up at Sai and walked back to the couch to eat his breakfast. He finished quickly. "I have to go," Naruto stated, rising from the couch once again.

"It's six in the morning," Sai replied, his voice blank.

"I have to go anyway," Naruto answered. He walked over to the sink and deposited his plate and fork. "Lock up when you leave, Sai." Naruto turned and walked to the door. He picked up his wallet and put it in his pocket before attaching his weapon pouches to his legs. That done, he quickly tapped on his shoes and grabbed his keys and Naruto slipped out of the apartment quietly.

[ X x X ]

When Naruto arrived at the academy, he wasn't surprised to find that he was the first one of Team Seven there. Like Sai said, it was barely six in the morning. The blond glanced at the clock, reaffirming the time, and sat on the bench that Shikamaru and Sasuke usually occupied if they got there first. Naruto leaned his head back and closed his eyes, letting his mind fall blank.

Naruto was surprised to be nudged awake gently by none other than the Uchiha on his team. It was disorienting and Naruto took a moment to realize that no, he was not dreaming. When it clicked in his brain that Sasuke was actually nudging him awake and not kicking him, Naruto sighed and stood, shooting a glance at the clock. Maybe he was imagining that things had changed. It was almost ten o'clock and Kakashi was standing behind Shikamaru with his nose in an orange book. As he exchanged greetings with his teammates, Naruto recalled that Kakashi had read that book two other times: during the teamwork test and during the tree climbing training. Odd. Naruto shook himself and followed his dark haired teammates into the mission room, Kakashi bringing up the rear.

"Good morning, Team Seven!" The Hokage greeted cheerfully. Naruto lifted his hand in a wave while Shikamaru and Sasuke greeted the old man. Kakashi forced out a laugh and greeted the Hokage as well as the Chuunin in the room. Naruto wasn't imagining the change in things. Kakashi didn't force laughs or greetings like that. And since when did Shikamaru greet the Hokage without complaining? And when did Sasuke start being polite? Naruto definitely wasn't the only one affected by their last mission, that was for sure. "We're all glad you made it back unharmed!" Naruto snorted and looked down when Sasuke turned and glared at him. "Of course, just because your mission was trying doesn't mean you won't be doing any more missions! Kakashi-Sensei has arranged a series of D-Rank missions for you that will be simple for you." Naruto got the feeling that there was more to it than that but he refrained from saying anything. Instead, he looked up and gave the Hokage his attention. "You'll be taking three D-Rank missions a day. Don't worry, Shikamaru, they won't be too, er, troublesome." Naruto glanced at Shikamaru who rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's see. What have we got today…"

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Kakashi who had his nose in the book. "_Icha Icha Paradise_," Naruto read aloud, squinting at the binding of the book. "Is it a romance?"

Kakashi slowly looked up at Naruto, his eye squinting. "No," he said slowly. Naruto stared at him, waiting for the man to expand. Kakashi stared at him for a moment and made a show of hiding his face behind the book. Naruto raised his brows and leaned forward, squinting at the summary. He didn't get a chance to comment on the fact that his sensei read smut on the job because the Hokage seemed to find what he was looking for.

"Aha, here we are. River trash pick-up, Izumi's Craft Store needs the back room swept, and Tora has run off again." Naruto's mouth twitched at the corners and he sighed loudly.

"Why don't we let Tora stay missing?" he muttered. "He's happier away from Yumihi-Sama."

"Naruto!" The blond flinched at the Hokage's loud voice and he looked up at the older man. He was glaring at the blond although when their eyes met, the Hokage seemed to soften. "Yumihi-Sama is paying you to get her cat. At least acknowledge that if she got rid of the beast you would be down a few hundred ryou." Naruto sighed and looked down, tucking his mouth behind his headband. "Very good. Kakashi-Sensei will take your mission scrolls. Bring them back when all three have been finished and signed by the name printed at the bottom." Kakashi nudged Naruto gently aside and walked over to the Hokage, taking the scrolls.

Naruto looked up and watched his team walk passed him before he followed, bringing up the rear while Kakashi lead them off.

[ X x X ]

The D-Rank missions were finished with the only complaining being when they had to fight with Tora to get him back to the Daimyou's wife. Kakashi stayed with the boys and made sure the scrolls got signed by the right people (for the trash pick-up it was Kakashi, for the craft shop it was Izumi, and for Tora it was Yumihi-Sama). When all of the scrolls were signed, Kakashi was conveniently called away for something, leaving his three students to return to the mission room alone. They had to wait for Team Eleven to finish up inside before they were let in.

The Hokage greeted them cheerfully. "Back already?" he continued following his greeting. "Wonderful! Where are your scrolls?" Naruto shifted on his feet as Sasuke slowly walked over to their leader, handing him their mission scrolls. He fell back into place beside Naruto and they waited while the Hokage verified that they completed the missions assigned to them. "Alright," he said after a few moments. "Enjoy the rest of your day, boys." Naruto bowed his head and turned, quickly leaving the room.

He didn't make it very far when his teammates caught up with him.

"Naruto," Shikamaru began quietly. "Would you like to go to Maki's with us?" Naruto blinked in shock and looked over at Shikamaru and then over at Sasuke. After hesitating, Naruto nodded.

"I would like that," he admitted, forcing out a couple of chuckles. He didn't miss the smug look Shikamaru shot Sasuke but he did opt to ignore it.

Team Seven quietly made their way to Maki's. Naruto found it nice, surprisingly. He had thought being with his teammates would cause triggers in his mind but he was pleasantly surprised that it didn't. In fact, their company seemed to do the opposite of cause triggers: their presence soothed away the triggers, like an iron on a wrinkly shirt.

Maki's was loud, as usual. However, the seating host had no problem recognizing Naruto. "Naruto-Kun!" the man shouted happily, ducking under a waitress carrying a tray with various soups on it. Naruto looked between the host and the waitress and shook his head while the seating host chattered on excitedly about the new dishes they were trying from another country. "Three, huh?" Naruto nodded. "Well, what are we doing standing around for? Kira just finished her break and your booth should be open! Come come!"

The host grabbed Naruto's wrist and pulled him off, Shikamaru and Sasuke following as quickly as they pleased in a place as busy as Maki's. The host pulled Naruto after him, ducking and weaving through waitresses with soup, drinks, and various main dishes until they reached the corner by the large bay windows of the restaurant. The booth in the back corner was shiny and deserted and Naruto quickly slid in. He shook his head in amusement as Shikamaru and Sasuke turned up at the booth a minute later.

"Maki's isn't that difficult to navigate, is it?" the blond asked curiously, looking at his dark haired teammates. Sasuke scoffed and slid into the booth across from Naruto. Shikamaru slid in next to Sasuke and stared at Naruto.

"If the host hadn't taken us on a walk to Kaminari no Kuni, I would say it isn't difficult at all," Shikamaru said lightly. He looked at Sasuke, glaring at the amused look on the Uchiha's face. "It was sarcasm."

"How would you even know what the walk to Kaminari no Kuni feels like, Shikamaru?" Naruto teased, shaking his head when all he got was a tongue stuck out at him. "Such a child," Naruto chided, taking the menu the seating host offered. "Will Kira be out soon?"

"Yessir Naruto-Kun!" the seating host said happily. "Bye-bye!" He turned and ducked back into the mess that was Maki's. Naruto rolled his eyes and flipped the menu to the back, skimming the drinks. He liked to try new things every time he was at Maki's. He hummed to himself as he skimmed the list of drinks before deciding on _atole_. He flipped open the menu and began looking over foods. He was just passing the breakfast menu when Kira's loud voice brought him away from the food.

"Naruto!" she greeted. Naruto looked up and nodded at her. "How are you? Haven't seen you in weeks!"

"We just returned from a mission," Naruto explained lightly, nodding to his teammates across from him. "It was pretty trying. Missions can be, ya know." He watched her face darken.

"Hm. Well," she looked to the dark haired boys in the booth, "I'm Kira! What would you like to drink?"

"I'll have _atole_," Naruto told her. "And can we get some chips?"

"Yup," Kira replied.

"Can I have some Earl Grey tea?" Shikamaru asked. "No sugar, three milks." Kira nodded and looked at Sasuke expectantly.

"Ice water," he muttered, not looking up from the menu. Kira nodded and bounced away happily. "It wasn't this busy the last time we were here," Sasuke commented.

Naruto looked around and shrugged his shoulders. "I've seen it busier. I had to wait almost an hour before they could seat me once. It gets busy around important events and holidays. Something must be going on." Naruto glanced at his teammates and went back to looking through the menu.

[ X x X ]

Going to Maki's after completing their missions became a routine for the boys of Team Seven. They alternated who paid with who handed over the scrolls to the Hokage. It was simple and it became natural. Things seemed to be going back to normal. There were still the occasions where Naruto had flashbacks but other than that, normalcy seemed to be on the agenda. Of course Kakashi had to mess it up.

Naruto should have known something was up when Kakashi asked if he could join them at Maki's. Kira was shamelessly rude too Kakashi , much to the Jounin's amusement. He mentioned casually, as Kira was walking away, that she was his student once. Naruto rolled his eyes and looked out the window, staring at the houses and restaurants that were in the window's view. In retrospect, Naruto really should have seen it coming.

"Boys," Kakashi began, smiling as Kira brought their food. He waited until she left before continuing. Naruto dug into his taco salad, noting that no one else was eating. He didn't actually care but it was irritating that he was the only one eating. He deliberately munched on a chip, staring at Kakashi innocently. "You've heard of the Chuunin exams, correct?" Naruto nodded and picked up another chip, shoving it inelegantly into his mouth. He watched Shikamaru and Sasuke nod out of the corner of his eye. "Well they're coming up. I've nominated you to be in the exams. You don't have to, but think about it. I have these forms for you that you will need to fill out if you end up deciding to join the exams." He smiled at them and reached into his vest, pulling out three sheets of paper. He handed on to each of the boys. "It's not mandatory and is only the first this year. The second one will take place in four months."

"A Thanksgiving Chuunin Exam?" Naruto asked, shaking his head at Kakashi's nod. "Nice. I'd rather take the summer one than the winter one, though. I'll think about it." He folded the paper in half and tucked it into his jacket pocket, turning back to his taco salad.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru complained, picking up his chop sticks. He brought some sushi to his mouth and chewed it carefully. "The Chuunin Exams get really competitive. Ugh. Are we hosting them or what?"

"Suna hosted last year," Sasuke chimed as he picked at his burrito. "So we're next on the list for this year. Although Konoha isn't a good place to host the exams in the winter."

"We'll make due when the time comes," Kakashi spoke, staring down at his own bowl of egg drop soup. "Well, think about it. I have to go." He slapped down a wad of ryou on the table and slid out of the booth, ducking into the crowd of people. The boys stared at his empty place for a moment and Shikamaru reached out, grabbing his bowl of soup. Naruto snorted and grabbed Kakashi's water. There was no use letting his order go to waste after all.

As Naruto gulped down Kakashi's water, all he could think about was the Chuunin exams. Shikamaru was right; they did get very competitive. Perhaps he should wait; the winter exams were more likely to be tough. But if he waited, there was a chance Itachi would get hurt. And that couldn't happen. Naruto shook his head as he set down the empty water glass. He stared at it for a moment before tearing with renewed vigor into his taco salad. The Chuunin exams would be interesting. Hopefully strong competition would show up, too. Naruto could only hope.


	19. Paint the Town Orange

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** This was inspired by the anime episode where Team Seven was attacked. Also, a lot of OC names. Some mention of PTSD. OOC Shikamaru. I think this is the longest chapter to date. Some foreshadowing if you look for it. (Internet Cookies if you can guess which part is foreshadowing!) Also, next chapter will be on Wednesday, as it's technically a side-chapter. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Terminology**: _Hyoujin_: sharp (meant as a play on words of sorts in the chapter)

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Naruto waved to Shikamaru and Sasuke as they exited Maki's and turned right, walking quietly down the crowded street. Naruto tucked his mouth behind his headband and kept his gaze on the ground, not wanting to get into any arguments. There were a few restaurants on the block that Naruto had got into fights in and the owners didn't like seeing the blond Genin around because of that. At the moment, Naruto just wanted to go home, run a bath, and think about the Chuunin exams. Well, the bath would depend on if Sai was there or not.

The blond dropped his gaze to the paper in his hand. It was a thick sheet of paper, probably so it wouldn't get torn easily. With ninja, that was a possibility. In Naruto's case, he wouldn't tear it so much as get it wet or burn it. The paper seemed durable enough to withstand those things as well, though, so Naruto wasn't too worried about it. He absently rubbed his thumb over the small 'x' at the bottom of the page next to a blank line. He would have to sign his agreement for registering. Was it worth it? Ever since Sasuke had mentioned the winter exams and Shikamaru mentioned that Konoha was a tough place for winter exams, Naruto was feeling more inclined to take the exams then instead of in the summer. It was a difficult decision. There was also the fact that he might not pass the exams in the summer. If that happened, he would definitely take the winter ones. Naruto huffed and looked up, making sure he had continued walking in the right direction of his home.

The east side of Konoha was the 'bad' side of Konoha. Druggies, alcoholics, and criminals tended to crawl the streets of eastern Konoha. The screams at night were common and Naruto was hardly ever surprised to see someone being mugged. There were a few families living in the east side, those who didn't make enough money for a house away from the scum-ridden streets. The people running through the streets and yelling weren't anything new and Naruto paid them no mind as he continued on his way home. He had tucked his Chuunin registration paper in his vest pocket because he wasn't going to take any chances of it getting stolen. Very few people knew where he lived and those same people (Sai, the Hokage, Itachi, and two older Chuunin) were the only people who needed to see his home. If Naruto lost his Chuunin form, he would have to ask for a new one, explain why it was stolen, and explain why he was in east Konoha. That couldn't happen.

"Get out of the way!" Naruto looked up in alarm and stepped aside as a man on a bike pedaled toward him, a bag with ryou falling out of it on his back. He pedaled passed Naruto without another glance and a couple of Chuunin ran after him, neither sparing the blond a glance. That was normal in the neighborhood the blond lived in. Get out of the way of crimes or become an accessory to crime yourself. Naruto watched the Chuunin chase the man for a few moments longer and turned to continue walking. He was impeded, however, by a man standing right in front of him. Naruto bumped into the man's chest and he shook his head, briefly meeting the guy's eyes.

"Sorry," he mumbled, staring at the guy's face. He was tan and he had a star-shaped scar on his cheek. Naruto didn't recognize the guy's headband and could only assume he was on a vacation and accidentally wandered into the scum of Konoha. "You know you shouldn't be here, right?" Naruto continued, staring at the man firmly. "I can take you to downtown Konoha. That's safe than this place."

The man stared down at Naruto for a long moment and reached with his left hand to his right shoulder. Naruto tensed and watched the man pull out a long katana. Naruto barely managed to jump away from him in time. He ducked the next swing and pulled out a kunai, blocking the blow the man sent at him. Naruto pushed against the man and flipped back, being carefully not to land on any faulty sidewalk or asphalt. Who the hell was that guy? Naruto glared at him and stepped back when he stepped forward.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto demanded harshly, glancing around. All the people outside didn't seem to mind that he was being attacked, which meant no one was in any immediate danger. Naruto dropped to a crouch when the katana was swung horizontally at him. "Dude!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing himself forward. He stabbed his kunai into the man's thigh and rolled away, pulling out another kunai. He probably needed to make a visit to the weapons shop to stock up on kunai and shuriken.

"I am no one of consequence," the man replied in a deep voice.

Naruto stared at him for a moment, his face carefully blank. Weird guy attacking him, not giving a name. Was Konoha suddenly under attack? What the hell was he missing?

"Tell me your name!" Naruto growled, stopping the katana with his kunai once again. He watched the man reach down and rip the kunai out of his thigh. He threw it to the side and switched the katana to his right hand. Naruto grunted when the man brought the katana up and slammed it down onto the kunai, causing a chip in the side. Naruto growled again and he threw the kunai at the man. Taking advantage of the man's dodge, Naruto brought his hands together, crossing his index and middle fingers in a plus sign. In a second, two clones appeared to form a triangle around the scarred man. "Who. Are. You." Naruto hissed out, falling quickly into his taijutsu stance. The two clones pulled out kunai and mimicked Naruto's stance.

There was a pause as the man looked between the three Naruto's. He sighed and met the real Naruto's gaze with a smile, his eyes gleaming. "I like to be called Sanshi." Naruto stared at him.

"And what do you want with me?"

Sanshi laughed. His laugh was loud and it put Naruto on edge. Not only was he laughing during a fight, he was laughing in this neighborhood. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing but Naruto was concerned that it would attract unwanted attention. He didn't particularly want to fight one man, much less a few hardened criminals and a crazy kenjutsu-knowing ninja. Naruto shifted uncomfortably and glanced at his clones, blinking at them both. While Sanshi continued to laugh, the clones took slow, quiet steps toward him, ready to strike or defend themselves at any moment.

"Answer the question," Naruto hissed, glaring at Sanshi. The man chuckled and looked at the blond, his eyes alight with amusement. Naruto only continued glaring.

Sanshi turned his body but kept his head turned slightly toward the real Naruto. He swung his katana out and pointed the tip at the clone on the right.

"I'm here," Sanshi began, looking away. He walked toward the clone, pulling his arm back so the katana stayed at the clone's nose, not touching him but hovering there. "I'm here because you need to know some things." With a quick swing of his sword, the clone lost its head and it vanished into smoke. Naruto grabbed his neck and began coughing harshly. Sanshi glanced at him and smiled vibrantly. "Did you like that?" Naruto blinked at him. Did he enjoy the feeling of having his head cut off? Not really, no. Sanshi laughed softly. "Uchiha Itachi," Naruto tensed and resumed his taijutsu stance that had shifted when the clone dispersed, "will die."

The clone yelled incomprehensibly and ran at Sanshi, stabbing him in the stomach. Sanshi grinned wildly and kicked the clone in the stomach, sending him onto his back. Naruto's body locked up as Sanshi loomed over the clone. Whatever the scarred nin was planning, Naruto was sure the memories would hurt him that evening. The katana was swung down elegantly and it went quickly through the clone's waist, cutting him in half. He vanished in a puff of smoke and Naruto stumbled, hugging himself around the middle.

"Do you hear me?" Sanshi whispered, turning to face the blond. Naruto shook himself and stared at Sanshi. "Uchiha Itachi will fall. And you will be helpless to stop him." Naruto screamed and threw himself at Sanshi, hardly noticing the katana imbedded in his shoulder. He grabbed Sanshi's wrist and twisted it, causing him to release the katana. Naruto grabbed it, his hand wrapping around the blade. He ripped it out of his shoulder and threw it to the side, curling his hand into a fist after the katana was gone. The blood seeped over his fingertips but he paid it no mind. He landed a chakra powered punch on Sanshi's face, causing the man to reel back a few feet. Naruto followed, punching wherever he could reach, not caring what he hit or who was watching.

With a quick move, Naruto swiped Sanshi's feet out from under him and he was on the man in seconds, his fingers laced together. He began beating at Sanshi's chest, his mind only filled with rage as he pounded his hands mercilessly against the man's chest. No one threatened his Itachi. No one. Naruto unlaced his fingers and punched Sanshi in the mouth. The man groaned in pain and Naruto caught sight of a few missing teeth. Well it served him right. Naruto pushed himself up from Sanshi's body and he delivered a sharp, forceful kick to the man's side.

"Get out of my sight," Naruto hissed at the man. Sanshi laid there for a few silent seconds and he stood slowly. He limped to his katana and, once that was secure, took off in a strange run that mainly seemed to involve limping. Naruto sighed and looked down at his hands and clothes. If he put his clothes in the wash first thing when he got home, they would be alright. He would need to bandage up his left hand but other than that, his hands seemed fine if not bloody. With those thoughts in mind, Naruto set off toward his house like he hadn't just beat a man halfway to hell. No one glanced at him or commented about what happened. After all, in eastern Konoha that was just another every day thing.

[ X x X ]

While Naruto and Shikamaru had been eating, Sasuke filled out his Chuunin exams form. There was no question about it. He would be taking the exams. Becoming a Chuunin would put him one step closer to killing Itachi and that was all he could ask for. Sasuke stared down at the thick sheet of paper, a smirk on his face as he quickly exited the busy street that Maki's was on. He ducked through a couple alleys and quickly found himself on the road that would take him back to the Uchiha compound. He needed to get in some extra training. He would probably curl up with a good book afterward, too, so that was something he looked forward to. Sasuke gave one last look to his exam registration paper and he tucked it in his pants pocket, quickening his pace. He was eager to head home and train for a bit. Who didn't love training? That was one of the few ways Sasuke could keep himself occupied, so it was very good for him. It made him strong and made for a good distraction from the painful things in life, like the fact that he still lived on the Uchiha compound and even after four years, the flashbacks were plenty.

Shaking his head, Sasuke broke into a jog. He really needed to get home. The brunette glanced at the ground briefly to make sure there was nothing he would trip on. When he looked up, however, there was a man in his way. A scowl crossed the Uchiha's face as he collided with the man, stumbling back a bit. Sasuke looked up at the guy and glared darkly at him.

"What is your problem?" the brunette asked.

"Hm," was the reply he received.

"Whatever. Just get out of my way." Sasuke grumbled under his breath as he moved to step around the man. He froze in place, however, when a katana blocked his path. It glimmered in the afternoon sunshine and Sasuke looked up at the man. What the hell had he done to get attacked? By a foreign ninja no less. Sasuke took a step back, his eyes going between the ninja and his katana. The symbol on his headband was unfamiliar to the Uchiha and he didn't know of any villages that practiced kenjutsu.

The brunette took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing intently for a moment. When he reopened his eyes, they were bright red. A black ring went around the pupil and a single tomoe rested at the top of each eye. It was Sasuke's first time using the Sharingan after having activated it. Part of him was excited but mostly he was very irritated. He just wanted to get home. Was that so hard to ask for? Apparently it was.

Sasuke met the man's eyes and smirked at the shock he saw on the guy's face. "Let me pass," Sasuke said firmly. "Or face the consequences."

The foreign ninja only grinned. "I, Sanshi, shall not submit so easily!" Sasuke arched a brow. He didn't hear many people introduce themselves like that. In fact, this man had to have been the first. It was a strange way to introduce oneself. Sasuke looked at Sanshi for a long moment and ducked the first swing of the katana he was met with. He threw himself to the side seconds before Sanshi brought his katana down and the man growled.

Sasuke dug out a kunai and he easily blocked Sanshi's katana as the man swung it recklessly at him, his face becoming more and more angry every time Sasuke blocked the katana. The man's speed left Sasuke with two options: defend himself or take a hit to get on the offense. Neither seemed ideal.

With a grunt, Sasuke let his shoulder take a hit of the katana. With it there, he took the opportunity to stab Sanshi's left arm. The man yelped and released his grip on the katana. Sasuke carefully pulled the katana from his shoulder and balanced it in his right hand. He stared at it and wondered if he could wield it better than its owner. Sasuke sneered and flung his arm out to the side, keeping his grip on the katana. He ran at Sanshi, swiping at his chest quickly and precisely, leaving behind a torn shirt and multiple lacerations. Sasuke continued swiping at the man until Sanshi yelled and reached out, stopping Sasuke's swipe with his hand. The katana sunk into the man's hand and Sanshi hissed out sharply before curling his fingers around the blade. With a swift move, Sanshi kicked Sasuke's chest and ripped the katana away.

Sasuke crashed to the ground and only managed to dodge the harsh stab from the sword because his Sharingan processed Sanshi's moves fast enough. Sasuke grit his teeth and took a few seconds to recall the training Team Seven underwent during their mission in Nami no Kuni. With that in mind, he gathered some of his chakra into his right foot and he kicked Sanshi's knee, pleased to hear the loud crack and to see Sanshi's knee bend back a bit farther than was healthy. The man howled and dropped the katana. Sasuke rolled and grabbed the hilt of the weapon, jumping quickly to his feet.

He stood in front of Sanshi who was struggling to stand. Sasuke stared at him for a long moment and looked at the katana. With pain in his eyes, Sasuke snapped the katana at the hilt and handed the broken hilt to his enemy.

"Leave."

Sanshi took the boy's words and his broken hilt and jumped away. Sasuke heard him land on the rooftop with a loud wince and the brunette walked off, deciding his training could wait. He needed a hot shower and then he would bandage his shoulder. As he walked, he wondered if something similar happened to his teammates. That would be strange.

[ X x X ]

Shikamaru could honestly say there were fewer things he found annoying than being attacked by a katana-wielding psycho. When he arrived at the top of the hill near the Hokage Monument, Shikamaru had hoped to relax and cloud-watch. That's all he really wanted to do. Naruto had rushed off as had Sasuke and Shikamaru hadn't felt the urge to go looking for Chouji or Nodoka. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and let his feet do the thinking. His feet wanted him to cloud-watch, not spend ten minutes dodging a clearly inexperienced kenjutsu user's messy attacks.

That's what he had been occupying his time with, against his will. Shikamaru didn't want to fight; he didn't know the man and he didn't know his name. All he knew was that there was an unprovoked attack happening. The man was swinging his sword wildly, like an academy student with a brand new set of kunai. Ugh. Shikamaru ducked and knocked the man's feet out from under him, irritated with how easy that had been. He stepped forward and put his foot on the man's wrist, preventing him from using his katana. If Shikamaru's suspicions were correct, the guy wouldn't have any other weapons, thinking himself strong enough to only need his katana.

"What do you think you're doing?" the brunette demanded, staring blankly down at the guy. The guy only grinned at him. "You're insane, aren't you? Look, calm down. I can get you back to the institution. My dad is working there today to help my friend's dad, so we'll get you taken care of."

"I'm not crazy, you brat!" the man shouted, wriggling his wrist. Shikamaru stared down at him, his brows raised. "Let me up! Fight me like a man!"

"I don't believe in unprovoked fighting," Shikamaru stated firmly. "It leads to nothing. If you're not crazy, what are you? A bad assassin? I'm sure an academy student could take you out." The man's eyes narrowed and Shikamaru knew he hit a nerve. That was good. Maybe the man would talk if Shikamaru degraded him enough. "Come on. I have no kenjutsu experience and I'm sure I could handle your katana better than you can." The man grunted as he tried to get his wrist up. "Let me guess. You're from Yama no Kuni, right? I know they train in kenjutsu. And I know they're bad."

"You brat!" the man shrieked. He brought up his free hand, knocking Shikamaru off of him. Shikamaru stumbled to regain his footing in the tall grass only to fall as the enemy ninja jumped to his feet. He loomed over Shikamaru, a dark look on his face. "I am Sanshi of Hyoujin no Sato and you will pay for the insults of my country and my village!" Shikamaru stared at him, a smirk on his lips.

"You can barely hold your katana properly. What makes you think you can 'make me pay'," he brought his hands up to form air quotes with his index fingers at those words, "for anything?"

"The fact that you're weak," Sanshi replied, swinging his katana at his side. "Like your teammates, you lack skill. Unlike, say, Naruto, I imagine you can stay alive in a live-or-death fight by using your smarts. Naruto is… Idiotic. He can't think, right? He's slow."

"Excuse me?" Shikamaru hissed, pushing himself to his knees. His eyes were dark and he stared at Sanshi expectantly, as if the man would explain his cruel words.

"And Sasuke… The last Uchiha. Certainly, you would think such a boy would be a prodigy or at least have some skill. He can't do anything. How long do you expect Team Seven would last in the Chuunin exams with someone like him? He's brash and rude. Teamwork requires these things put aside for the safety of the mission."

Shikamaru slowly stood up, his hands shaking at his sides. "How dare you?" he hissed. "How dare you say these things?"

"Oh," Sanshi continued, a smirk on his face, "Let's not forget Hatake Kakashi. A slacker and a useless man. He doesn't teach you anything. Why? He hardly knows a thing. He steals jutsu but to what end? He can't teach you. He's an idiot, like the rest of your team." Sanshi smiled innocently at the enraged Nara. "Needless to say, you're weak because they're weak. And a team must always be balanced, so you must all be weak."

The man stood there smiling at the enraged look on Shikamaru's face. In that moment, Shikamaru swore he saw red. He didn't know what came over him. All he knew was that no one, _no one_, had the right to insult Team Seven. No one knew what they had already gone through as a team. Three months and they had already gone through so much. Mid-July and the team was already so close. They had bonded over tragedy and strength and this stupid kenjutsu failure had the audacity to insult everything Team Seven had worked so hard for?

Shikamaru would later deny that such a sound came from his mouth, but he screamed loudly, causing Sanshi's smile to slide off his face as the man realized the grave mistake he had made.

"I'll kill you!" Shikamaru shouted, throwing himself at Sanshi. The nin barely had any time to defend himself when Shikamaru landed the first violent punch on his jaw. Sanshi retaliated and Shikamaru ignored the katana in his shoulder. He tore it out and slammed it into the ground, the tip of the katana imbedding in the soft soil of the hill. Shikamaru landed a punch in the middle of Sanshi's face and took a deep, calming breath. He smiled at Sanshi, the smile soft and friendly. He brought his hands together to form the rat hand sign. Shikamaru looked away from Sanshi, his eyes falling on the grass. He easily pinpointed the shadows the blades of tall grass cast and he looked back up at Sanshi. "Shadow Imitation Jutsu." It took less than ten seconds for the jutsu to complete and Shikamaru tested that it was holding by fist pumping in the air. Sanshi followed the actions exactly and Shikamaru grinned.

The two ninja stared at each other and Shikamaru reached out, taking the katana's hilt in his hand.

"Have you ever been run through by a katana?" Shikamaru mused aloud as he picked it up. He watched Sanshi mimic his actions on the air and they approached each other slowly, Sanshi's face panicked. Shikamaru, on the other hand, looked content. He would have, in any case, had his eyes not been so full of contained rage. "No one insults my team, Yama nin. I don't care who you think you are." He stopped about six inches away from Sanshi and smirked as the man struggled against Shikamaru's jutsu. "I've been practicing in my free time. My team will not go unassisted again. You can't break free." They stared at each other for a moment. "I hate you," Shikamaru admitted, holding the katana out to the side with the blade skyward. He admired the sword as it glinted in the sun. "Because you're a bad man. And because my team is strong. Sasuke has the Sharingan. Naruto… I don't know what he has, but if he meets you and it gets unleashed on you, you will die. My sensei is the Copy Cat Ninja. And I doubt you could last five minutes against him."

Sanshi muttered under his breath and Shikamaru turned their heads to face one another again only for Sanshi to spit on him. Shikamaru brought up their free hands and he wiped the spit off his face while Sanshi just touched his own face. Shikamaru stared down at the saliva on his fingers and sighed, wiping it on his pants. He looked at Sanshi and looked to the katana for a moment before he returned his attention to Sanshi.

"I'll ask again," Shikamaru said lightly. "Have you ever been run through by a katana?" Sanshi didn't answer. "I'll take that as a no." With a smirk, Shikamaru shifted his right leg so it was behind him. He looked at Sanshi, taking in his pose. Shikamaru glanced at Sanshi's curled fist where the katana was in Shikamaru's hand and he realized he would get punched. The brunette tightened his stomach and without any further preparation, the brunette gave a yell and he ran the sword through Sanshi's stomach, not phased as the man's fist slammed into his stomach. Shikamaru released the jutsu and tore the katana out of Sanshi's stomach violently, stepping away from the man as he dropped to his knees, coughing blood onto the grass.

Shikamaru stared at him for a minute and crouched down, making a show of wiping the blade off on the grass. He looked at the man and scoffed.

"Don't insult and don't underestimate Konoha nin again," Shikamaru warned before he turned and walked away, the katana still in his hand. He could probably get some money for it at the weapon shop so he set his mind on that and then he decided he would go home and mend his shoulder. That would be good.

As Shikamaru left the Yama nin to his wounds, he couldn't help but think about the Chuunin exams. All types of foreign ninja would be in Konoha soon. Perhaps he would enter the exams after all. He would look over the sheet Kakashi had given him when he got home. With that thought in mind, Shikamaru quickened his pace to the weapon shop.

[ X x X ]

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Abarai Kino, Boshi Masuda, Tsumaru Riika, and Hatake Kakashi sat together around a table home to a plush purple pillow and a crystal ball.

The room was silent. Hiruzen had decided to test all the newest Genin teams that had been entered in the Chuunin exams. The Hokage had released an inmate at the psych ward, a man by the name of Sanshi, and had some of his best ninja working on creating very strong genjutsu around this man. After the genjutsu had been created, a team of genjutsu experts went to find their first target and set the genjutsu upon the target Genin. The way the genjutsu was developed, it would be able to be seen through the crystal ball and the genjutsu casters would know when it was time to let the jutsu up.

Asuma's team, Team Nine, had done well. Ino easily possessed the target, Sanshi, and convinced him to leave her alone. Sakura showed force and threatened him. He eventually left after some clever threats from the pink haired Genin. Chouji befriended the kenjutsu user and they shared some chips before Chouji managed to convince him to go home. Sanshi left unharmed. Asuma had been proud and Kakashi was the only sensei who didn't praise the man for the improvement of his team, especially Sakura and Ino.

Kurenai's team, Team Eight, was also proficient in dealing with Sanshi in the genjutsu. Hinata had blocked off most of Sanshi's tenketsu points, causing him to surrender. Kiba sicked Akamaru on Sanshi and the man had run off in fear of the dog. Shino covered the man in insect stings that continued to swell up long after the bugs left. Shino offered the antidote in exchange for Sanshi's surrender and subsequent leaving. Sanshi was healed and he left. Again, only Kakashi didn't praise Kurenai.

Kino's, Team Six, valiantly fought their way out of their confrontations, leaving a confused Sanshi as they fled. Hiruzen made the suggestion to Kino to train his team on not running away because there were fights that they wouldn't be able to escape. Kakashi consoled Kino and told him it was alright.

Masuda's team held up well. Being that Team Eleven consisted of two genjutsu prodigies, they managed to realize it was a genjutsu and Riina managed to dispel the genjutsu while Takemaru fought his way out of it. Naomi was defeated, much to Masuda's displeasure. He took it in stride, however, and accepted the praise from Kurenai on Riina and Takemaru.

Riika's team, Team Ten, was an interesting struggle to watch. Asahina seduced Sanshi in then knocked him out. Asuma teased Riika about it and she only punched him in the head. Ryuuga seemed to give Sanshi a therapy session and the kenjutsu user left, thinking he was going to go off and make a better life for himself than mugging Genin. Renji, like Riina, had figured out it was a genjutsu and he proceeded to make the genjutsu faulty until it collapsed on itself.

When it came to Kakashi's team, all he received from his fellow Jounin and his leader was silence. Beneath his mask, though, Kakashi was smirking with pride. His team was strong and, even though it wasn't obvious, they knew the value of good teamwork. He'd seen a little bit of Sasuke's strength and Shikamaru's quick reflexes as Naruto fought Sanshi. In Sasuke, he'd seen Naruto's determination and Shikamaru's quick thinking. In Shikamaru, it was rather obvious that he had embodied what his teammates had to offer. Kakashi was proud to say he even saw a little of himself as Shikamaru fought Sanshi. Where else would he have learned that talking was a good set up for any plan?

The rest of the Genin sensei didn't seem to share Kakashi's pride. They didn't even seem mildly amused by Team Seven's antics. Asuma was staring at the fading genjutsu in the crystal ball, his cigarette dangling from his lips dangerously. Kurenai was staring at Kakashi, her face blank. Riika had her head in her hands and Masuda's eyes were closed, his face pained. Kino put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and looked at him, his eyes not blank but definitely unreadable.

"Kakashi," Kurenai spoke up. Her face was still blank but it was good that she was responsive. "_What_ happened in Mizugakure?" Her eyes met Kakashi's and expressed all the confusion she seemed to be feeling. Kakashi looked away from her, back to the crystal ball. The ball was showing all of the Genin as they continued their days.

"Kurenai," the Hokage spoke up, "I think it is best you not know."

"Those boys are going into the arena with my students, Hokage-Sama!" Kurenai objected. "I think it's best I know what happened to make them like this!"

"Let me put it this way, Kurenai," Hiruzen replied, glancing at Kakashi, "the fact that Naruto didn't freeze up from a flashback says a lot more than I could. The fact that Shikamaru was able to maintain his family jutsu says more than Kakashi could. The fact that Sasuke can use his Sharingan and easily broke the genjutsu Sanshi's knee says more than anything."

There was a moment of quiet at the old man's words.

"Kakashi," Kino spoke, looking at the silver haired Jounin, "are you having flashbacks as well?"

Kakashi looked up in confusion. He looked at Kino and laughed lightly, although it was a forced laugh. "Not me. I haven't suffered PTSD in a while, Kino. I got over that before I became a Jounin. It was mandatory." He paused and nodded as if reassuring himself. "Don't worry about me."

"So Kino knows," Kurenai stated. "But none of us know?"

"I know," Asuma spoke up as he put out his cigarette on his pant leg. "Kakashi told me. Trust me, Kurenai, what Hokage-Sama has said should be more than enough. Besides, we'll all be there during the exams as well as a few ANBU."

"So we need ANBU?" Riika chimed in, lifting her head from her hands. She pointed at Kakashi. "Hatake. You need to either tell us or withdraw your team from the summer exams!"

Kakashi raised his brow. "Aren't we demanding, Riika?" Kakashi asked cheerfully. He glanced back at the crystal ball and his eye narrowed at the absence of his blond. Had Naruto gone out of the crystal ball's range? "You want to know what happened?" Kakashi asked, his tone still light. He looked back to the other Jounin, not surprised to see Kurenai, Riika, and Masuda nodding.

"Kakashi," the Hokage interrupted. "If you do not want them to know, do not tell them. They can live in the dark." He shot the two women looks and then gave Masuda the same look.

"No, no," Kakashi conceded, holding his hands up in surrender. "They're right. My boys are going in the arena with their teams; they should at least know the basics." Kino's hand tightened on his shoulder and Kakashi spoke again. "The Demon of the Mist is dead, his apprentice is dead, Nami no Gatou is dead, Mizugakure is a free country once again, Sasuke experienced a temporary death, Shikamaru got to learn what it means for him to be lazy and unmotivated, and Naruto learned the price of loving someone."

"Kakashi…" Kino's hand slid from Kakashi's shoulder and the red haired Jounin embraced his older companion, burying his face against Kakashi's shoulder. "When you put it that way, it hurts me even more." His voice was muffled but Kakashi still caught his words. The silver haired Jounin brought his arms around Kino and he hugged the red head back for a moment before pushing him back.

"Now," Kakashi said, glancing back at the crystal ball. "I have to go find my blond." With those words, he vanished in a puff of smoke leaving behind three shocked Jounin, one sad Jounin, and two annoyed Sarutobi men.


	20. Side Chapter: Hold Me Close

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** Yaoi ahead! If you don't like kissing… I dunno what to tell you. So: kissing. 13 is the age of consent in Japan. That's what I'm writing by. By the end of the story, it won't matter. Anyway. Naruto is 12, Itachi is 17. Bask in this; probably the most romance this story will have until the exams are over. Enjoy!

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

The first thing Naruto registered in his mind upon waking up was that he was not in eastern Konoha. He didn't seem to be in a village at all unless a village had moved into a forest. All he could really see were trees and the sky. The sky seemed to be washed in the light colours of sunset, a confusing occurrence because it was only noon when he encountered Sanshi the kenjutsu user. Naruto frowned at the sky and turned his attention elsewhere, namely the feel of grass beneath his fingers. Something was definitely wrong. He hadn't been anywhere near a forest and, as far as he knew, what little grass was in eastern Konoha was dry and brittle. What tickled his fingers was lush and alive.

He looked around, hoping whoever brought him there would show themselves. It was silent, however. Naruto glared up at the sky and flung himself into a sitting position. It took him a moment to register that he was in a clearing, but when he did, he relaxed a little. At least he wasn't lying by some tree somewhere. A clearing was good. He ran his hand through his hair and looked around, taking in what he could see. Nothing much was around, sans trees and grass. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone.

"Where the hell am I?" he muttered to himself, glancing around once more.

"A clearing just outside of your village," a voice spoke. Naruto cried out in surprise and jumped to his feet, spinning around to face the speaker. Why hadn't he thought of looking behind him? Geez, he really needed to survey an area completely before relaxing. Naruto glared at the person, unable to make out their face. The person sat beneath a tree and held a book in their hand. Naruto tilted his head to the side as he stared at the person. Why was he so familiar? "You've been unconscious for about two hours. I expect someone is searching for you right now." It was definitely a male. And his voice was so familiar.

"Who are you?" Naruto demanded, choosing to ignore the man's words for the moment. When he figured out if he was a threat or not, Naruto would ask why he was out for two hours. "Answer me!" Naruto took a step forward, a glare on his face. He bared his teeth to try and intimidate his companion, receiving only a laugh for his efforts. The glare on the blond's face darkened and he looked away. The man was really familiar. Why did Naruto recognize him?

His head snapped around when the man shut his book and Naruto watched the man stand slowly, using his knees to help him get up. Naruto tensed and watched carefully as the man stepped into the clearing. At that moment, Naruto forgot he was kidnapped. He forgot he had no idea where he was, he forgot what he had been gone for two hours. And most importantly, Naruto forgot that Uchiha Itachi was considered a rogue ninja and a traitor. At the sight of the eldest Uchiha's face, tears welled up in Naruto's eyes. They stared at each other silently, one with a ghost of a smile, one with tears threatening to spill out. At his sides, Naruto's fists were clenched. Itachi stood casually, his book dangling in his hand precariously. His other hand was in his pocket. Naruto glanced at the cloak that rested casually around Itachi's shoulders and that was the breaking point for him.

Itachi seemed to have expected something like what happened. When Naruto threw his arms around Itachi's neck, the Uchiha didn't stumble or react in a surprised manner. He merely slid his hand from his pocket, let his book fall, and wrapped his arms around the sobbing blond. Naruto kept his grip on Itachi, not noticing anything else.

After all those years, he was finally face-to-face with Uchiha Itachi and all he could do was cry. This was the man that stood up for him when he was bullied, who helped him learn how to cook simple things, who watched over him. This was the man that Naruto looked up to and loved. Yes, there was no question about it. Naruto loved Itachi. Enough people knew; in fact, Naruto would say of his precious people, only Itachi didn't know of Naruto's feelings. In any other situation, it was amusing. But right then and right there, the fact that Itachi didn't know was sad.

It took Naruto a few minutes to calm down. Through his tears and his sniveling, Itachi remained silent. He simply sat there, embracing the blond. Naruto could only wonder what was going through his mind. Was he regretting taking Naruto away? A foolish part of Naruto wondered if Itachi was there to take Naruto away with him somewhere far away from anything either of them knew. That would have been nice, but Naruto knew how foolish of a thought it was.

"Are you alright?" Naruto peered up at Itachi and sighed, dropping his head so his forehead rested on the Uchiha's shoulder. That was a stupid question. The answer was no. He had stopped crying, yes, but he wasn't alright.

"Yeah," Naruto mumbled. "Yeah, I'm alright." He looked up at the black haired teen and offered a smile to him. "Itachi-San…" Naruto took a deep breath and put his hands on the older boy's shoulders, staring up at him. "Why did you bring me here?"

The two stared at each other for a long minute, neither saying anything. Itachi moved his hands up to rest on Naruto's shoulders and his fingertips were pressing tightly against the bones of his shoulders. "I…" Naruto arched a brow and stared at his ANBU. Although he wasn't his ANBU anymore, was he? Naruto looked away, dropping his gaze to Itachi's hand on his right shoulder.

"Never mind," Naruto muttered. He removed his hands from Itachi's shoulders and shrugged out of the teen's grip. The blond turned and sighed, staring at the trees across from him. "Say, Itachi-San. Have you been to Nami lately?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder, surprised to see the defeated look on Itachi's face. And here Naruto thought Uchihas were too proud to be defeated. Then again, that could just be Sasuke. Naruto stared at Itachi's face, watching the defeat give way to acceptance. The brunette sat down on the ground and patted the grass in front of him.

Naruto spun around and crossed his ankles, dropping down into a cross-legged position. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, cupping his chin in his hands. This action caused Naruto's headband to be pushed up over his mouth, something the blond was accustomed to. It helped to hide his smiles or his frowns as well, something that had potential to be helpful. Itachi looked down and they made eye contact for a few seconds before Itachi looked away, his eyes falling instead to Naruto's headband.

Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke. "We were in Nami no Kuni with you, Naruto. It was… Not coincidence. I don't believe it was intended to be coincidence that we were there at the same time as you and your team." Naruto bit his lip and Itachi reached out, carefully lifting Naruto's chin out of his hands. He moved his hand and let the Konoha headband fall to the base of Naruto's neck and the Uchiha brought his thumb up, carefully extracting Naruto's lip from the wrath of his teeth. "Don't do that. There is a shortage of perfect lips in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours." Naruto smiled at those words and shook his head, causing Itachi to relinquish his grip on the blond's chin. "Naruto… I…" Itachi sighed and shook his head.

"You what?" Naruto prodded, staring at the Uchiha with interest. "You what? You brought me here… to kill me? I can only assume that what your cloak stands for can't be good. Were you sent to kill me? Or perhaps kidnap and torture? Torture and interrogation? '_Maybe the blond who everyone hates will betray the village and give their secrets to the Uchiha_.' Right? Am I close?" Naruto sneered at Itachi's quiet and looked away, startled when his chin was grabbed. His shock didn't compare to when Itachi's lips were crushed against his in a bruising kiss full of desperation and wonder. Naruto stared at Itachi's pale face, his eyes taking in the shadows on his closed eyes and the way his lashes cast gentle shadows on his high cheekbones. All too soon, Itachi was pulling away, his eyes opening slowly. Naruto met his gaze and the bared emotions there caused his heart to hurt.

From what Naruto knew, Itachi wasn't one to bare his emotions to the world. So the fact that he was letting Naruto see that he was confused and hurt struck something within the blond. Without much thought, Naruto pushed himself to his knees, pressing his lips against the older teen's gently, his eyes falling closed. The kiss turned bruising quickly, like Itachi didn't know what to do. Maybe it was that he didn't know what to do with Naruto. The blond disregarded that thought and brought his hands up to Itachi's shoulder's and something seemed to snap in the Uchiha because he pulled away and stood. The quick motions caused his cloak to fall from his shoulders but he paid it no mind. Itachi glanced at Naruto and took a few steps away from the blond, not stopping until he was sure they couldn't touch but could still talk.

Naruto reached over and picked up Itachi's cloak, staring at it blankly. What did the red clouds symbolize? If he could ever think up an excuse for how he knew about them, Naruto would ask Kakashi or the Hokage. Naruto curled his hands into fists around the cloak and looked up at Itachi as the teen turned to face him. They looked at each other for a moment before Itachi spoke.

"That was… Quite inappropriate for the both of us," Itachi murmured.

"I'll be thirteen in October. I'll be legal." Itachi scoffed.

"That is not what I mean, Naruto," he answered. "Perhaps you will be legal, but…" Itachi shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. Naruto raised a brow at the teen, wondering what he had to be defensive about. "How shall I put this? Naruto, I have feelings for you. I have had them for you for a very long time, but they're inappropriate. Unacceptable. They are feelings I shouldn't have."

Naruto stared at the Uchiha, his face carefully blank. Itachi, on the other hand, looked frustrated. If what Itachi was saying wasn't so serious, Naruto would have found the role-reversal amusing. As it were, he couldn't. He was struggling to wrap his mind around what Itachi has just confessed. Itachi had 'feelings' for him. Was that his way of saying he had a crush on Naruto? Why didn't he just say that? And everyone said girls were confusing.

"Okay," Naruto said flatly. "Inappropriate might aptly fit the situation. But you're acting as if I don't return these 'feelings'." Naruto smirked and pushed himself to his feet, his grip still tight on Itachi's cloak. "Uchiha Itachi, I have had 'feelings'," he released the cloak from his right hand and brought his hand up to make air-quotes around the word 'feelings', "for you since I met you. I was too young to know what they were. So don't go making decisions about this kind of thing that include both our feelings, okay? Che, men are such idiots."

Naruto tipped his head to the side and stared at Itachi firmly. He wasn't going to waver on anything. Itachi wasn't going to just take his feelings and brush them aside and if he did, there would be some problems. A smirk stretched across Naruto's face at the sight of Itachi's. His brows were furrowed and his face was tinged pink. Perhaps that was just the colours of the setting sun, but Naruto was inclined to think Itachi's was embarrassed. That was actually a little cute. The blond took a step forward and, when Itachi didn't object, took another couple of steps until he could reach out and grab the brunette's arms, which he did. Naruto's touch seemed to break Itachi out of his reverie.

"I'm a rogue ninja, Naruto," Itachi hissed, his eyes darkening. "I _murdered_ my clan. Stop being an idiot. I shouldn't have brought you here. This was a mistake." Itachi shook Naruto's grip and reached out, snatching his cloak from the blond's left hand. He pulled it on and walked briskly around Naruto to where his book was. He scooped it up and turned to bid the blond goodbye. "Forget this happened, Naruto," Itachi said, his voice blank.

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. "Itachi-San, I…" He flinched and glanced around, his eyes quickly trying to locate the direction the bird shriek came from. Someone else was in the forest. Naruto spun around and met Itachi's gaze. "You're being the idiot, Itachi-San." Naruto shook his head and sat down, hiding his face in his hands. "The Kyuubi is sealed inside of me," he muttered. "Did you know that?" Naruto looked up as another bird shrieked. His gaze went to the sky and he watched a flock of birds fly over the clearing. Naruto glanced at the trees that were in the direction the birds came from and he sighed, looking at Itachi once more. The Uchiha hadn't moved. "I'll pretend this never happened. Okay?"

Itachi didn't answer immediately. He stood there for a moment and took quick steps over to the blond. He dropped to his knees and pressed his lips to Naruto's for a quick second before he vanished. Naruto brushed his fingers across his mouth and grumbled to himself, looking up in alarm when someone swore. A moment later, his sensei was stepping from between a pair of trees that had grown rather close together.

"Naruto," Kakashi murmured. "What happened?"

Naruto blinked at him. "Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto rubbed his eyes and looked around. "I… I don't know. I just woke up."

"You've been missing for two hours, Naruto," Kakashi informed him as he took quick steps over to the blond. Kakashi reached down and pulled Naruto to his feet and then into his arms.

"Kakashi-Sensei, I'm fine," Naruto protested.

"Not taking any chances, Naruto," was Kakashi's curt reply before he jumped into a tree, jumping quickly into the next one.

The next thirty minutes were a blur for Naruto. Kakashi made him go to the hospital and then the Jounin escorted Naruto to his apartment, much to the blond's shame. Kakashi made no comment about the area he lived in and, after Kakashi left, Naruto realized the Jounin didn't even ask directions. Naruto reminded himself that his sensei once said he knew where they lived and he hoped into the shower.

That night, Naruto dreamed about Itachi. Sasuke made a cameo in the dream as well and they had fought until they were both dying, at which point Naruto had to choose whose side he was going to be on in the end. The scary part was, he ran to Itachi's side and he woke up in a cold sweat, knowing that his day was going to suck.


	21. Things Get Weird

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** There will be a side-chapter. It will be Sasuke's birthday! Suggestions for gifts are welcome! Naruto, Shika, and Kakashi's presents are already decided, so anyone else is fine. Then next Sunday, the Chuunin exams get ready to begin! Enjoy the chapter.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

It was Tuesday. Naruto was proud of his skills of observation and glad that he could accurately figure out what day of the week it was, but more than that he was irritated by the fact that Monday had seemed dreadfully long. The blond woke up feeling like it was Thursday at least only to remember that it was Tuesday. His awful dream didn't help and he almost dreaded seeing the younger of the Uchihas later. At the thought of the Uchihas, Naruto smiled, brushing his fingers across his bottom lip. A blush rose on his face as he realized what he did and Naruto flung himself out of bed quickly, putting more effort than needed into getting ready for the day.

By the time Naruto left the house, the day previous was the farthest thing from his mind. Instead, he was more focused on the Chuunin exams. After his fight with the crazy swordsman, Naruto truly had made up his mind. The things that took place after the fight only strengthened his resolve. He had to get stronger to protect Itachi and only the Chuunin exams would do it. When Kakashi took him home, Naruto got some food and quickly filled out the registration sheet. As he walked, it the paper was clutched tightly in his hand, as if he was afraid it would simply flutter away if he didn't keep a firm grip on it.

As usual, Naruto arrived at the academy at eight, not surprised to see his two teammates there. He was surprised, though, when they both shouted his name and stood up.

"Um, what did I miss?" Naruto questioned, looking between the two brunettes' very different expressions. Shikamaru looked worried and yet slightly relieved. Sasuke was glaring at him but not in anger. It was more a concerned glare. Naruto tucked his registration paper in his vest pocket as he waited for one of the two to answer him.

"Yesterday," Shikamaru began. Panic flooded Naruto instantly and his head shot up; did they know about Itachi? He glanced at Sasuke and tossed that idea out the window. The Uchiha would definitely be angry if they knew about Itachi. "When I was alone, I was attacked by a nin from Yama no Kuni. So was Sasuke. His name was Sanshi." Naruto arched a brow at Shikamaru.

"What?" he questioned. "That's not right. I kicked Sanshi's ass on my way home." Shikamaru shot Sasuke a look and the brunette scoffed but didn't look away from either of his teammates. "I… Don't get it," Naruto admitted softly.

"It was probably some sort of test," Sasuke grumbled, scuffing his shoe against the ground. Naruto dropped his gaze to their feet, watching Sasuke's shoe leave marks on the tile. "Hn."

Naruto looked up and tilted his head to the side, looking at Sasuke for a moment. He had to look away when the previous afternoon flashed through his head. His gaze rested on Shikamaru who was watching him thoughtfully.

"You say you kicked his ass?" Shikamaru questioned. Naruto nodded. "It must have been a genjutsu then. That doesn't explain how I was actually able to sell his sword."

"You sold his sword?" Naruto asked, his eye brows raising in surprise. A smirk settled on Shikamaru's face and Naruto glanced at Sasuke, deciding the two were spending too much time together because Shikamaru didn't smirk.

With a nod, Shikamaru answered, "Yes. I got a few hundred ryou. Why? Didn't you take the sword?"

"No," Naruto said slowly. "I just… He needed to get away from me or he was going to die." He ignored the looks both Sasuke and Shikamaru gave him at those words. "What about you, Sasuke? What did you do with it?"

A sheepish look crossed Sasuke's face before he went back to glaring at the blond and the Nara. "I broke it so he couldn't use it." Naruto shook his head, rolling his eyes as he did so. Shikamaru chuckled and Sasuke gave them both dark glares, earning smiles in return. Between them, it fell quiet for a moment. Naruto was the one to break the quiet this time.

"Did… Did he say anything strange to you guys?" the blond asked, his tone carefully blank as well as his face. If Sanshi didn't pick at his teammates, he certainly didn't want to announce that Sanshi knew _his_ weak spot. Shikamaru's eyes widened a fraction before he shook his head. Sasuke glared harder and scoffed. "Okay then."

Shikamaru hesitated before asking, "Why? Did he say something strange to _you_?" Naruto glared at him. "Well you did bring it up," the brunette pointed out and Naruto sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Doesn't matter now," he groused. "Let's drop it."

"Naruto…"

"No, Shikamaru, drop it." Naruto didn't look at either of his teammates. Instead, he pushed between the two dark haired boys and walked over to the bench Team Seven had claimed as theirs when they first became a team. He plopped down on it and tucked his hands into his vest pockets, dropping his eyes to the floor. Naruto didn't look up as Sasuke's feet passed in front of him and he ignored the Uchiha when he sat beside the blond. Shikamaru plopped down on Naruto's left and the only reason Naruto knew what because he was the green of his friend's pants out of the corner of his eye.

Time passed slowly without conversation between the trio. Naruto was mildly irritated, but mostly at himself. He reacted badly to Shikamaru's question when he did bring it up. In his defense, Shikamaru should have shut up when Naruto told him to drop it the first time. Kakashi's tardiness wasn't helping. Normally, Naruto wasn't fazed by his sensei's lateness. He just took it in stride. He was just too irritated for lenience at the moment.

Naruto groaned and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He ran his fingers through his hair and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He shot Shikamaru a glare and the brunette shrugged, not removing his hand. Naruto sighed and accepted it, looking forward again. Kakashi didn't make an appearance for almost an hour more. When he finally did show up, Naruto was the first one of Team Seven on their feet. Shikamaru and Sasuke followed, though, and the three walked quickly over to Kakashi.

"Aa, sorry for being late!" Kakashi said lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I got lost on the road of life!" He chuckled at the boys only to get blank stares in return. "What's got you all so wound up?" the Jounin asked, his tone turning serious. Naruto reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a slightly wrinkled Chuunin exams registration paper. He shoved it at his Sensei.

"I'm gonna take the exams," Naruto mumbled, looking away from Kakashi. He licked his lips, his gaze on the floor. He looked up when Shikamaru sighed loudly and muttered about troublesome tests. Amusement played across Naruto's face when the complaining twelve year-old shoved his own paper into Kakashi's hands. "Really, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, reaching out to pat Shikamaru's shoulder.

"I have my reasons," the brunette snapped, causing Naruto to quickly withdraw his hand. If he kept pushing, he might get bit. Metaphorically or literally; Shikamaru was a strange character. Naruto looked way from Shikamaru, trying to escape the annoyance on his face. Instead, he looked at Sasuke who pulled out a carefully folded square of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to Kakashi with an airy wave of his hand. Naruto looked back to Shikamaru and then at Kakashi who stared at the papers in his hand. Naruto got the impression that he was smiling although his eye wasn't curved up as it normally did when he smiled.

The blond shuffled his feet and glance at the clock. It was ten in the morning, not surprisingly. But now they were wasting more mission time just standing around. Naruto shoved his hands into his vest pockets and looked up at Kakashi who was looking at the team now, a smile obvious beneath his mask.

"Well then," Kakashi stated. "I suppose this means you should all have the day off."

"What," Naruto deadpanned. He dressed for catching Tora the Satanic cat, not for relaxing on his couch. For once, he actually wanted to go on simple minded D-Rank missions. His mind was too cluttered and he needed to clear it. Kakashi's words certainly smacked Naruto's wants in the face.

"Take the day off," Kakashi said, his voice firm. It left no room for argument, not that Naruto's teammates would object. "Relax. Yesterday was a long day." Naruto met Kakashi's gaze and he sighed, giving in with a slump of his shoulders. Kakashi was referring to finding the blond in the forest. Geez, was Kakashi going to be on hyper-alert now? Naruto sincerely hoped not; he didn't think he could handle being escorted home constantly. Naruto took a step back and turned to leave when a hand caught his shoulder. Shikamaru brushed passed him and the blond sighed, looking over at his sensei. "Are you okay?" Kakashi asked lowly. Naruto glanced at Shikamaru who was lingering a few feet away from them. Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

Naruto nodded to the Jounin. "Yes," he answered, forcing a smile. "Don't worry about me, Sensei." Kakashi stared at him for a moment and nodded, releasing the blond's shoulder. Naruto quickly walked over to Shikamaru and they left the academy without any questions or words between them.

The duo quietly exited the academy and fell easily into step with one another. Neither said a thing. They simply walked together with no obvious destination in mind. That was something Naruto liked about Shikamaru. When the brunette wasn't being pushy, he was good company and Naruto felt at ease with him. They didn't need to talk and they didn't need to go anywhere to enjoy each other's company. Naruto glanced at his friend and sighed at the glare said brunette was giving the ground as they walked.

"Shikamaru-" Naruto began, only to be cut off by someone else shouting his friend's name. Both boys look up to find the source of the shouting. It wasn't hard.

"Uzumaki-Kun! Nara-Kun!" Naruto lifted his arm in a wave and Shikamaru waved his hand a couple of times at the blond and brunette walking toward them. Nodoka was beaming at them and Chouji managed a smile in between mouthfuls of chips. Nodoka reached out and grabbed Chouji's arm, tugging him after her as she started to jog toward the boys of Team Seven. "Where is Uchiha-Kun?" the blond girl asked as she and Chouji reached the pair.

Naruto shrugged. "He left. He's probably at Maki's or at his house."

Nodoka smiled. "Oh. Are you three getting along better?"

"More or less," Naruto answered, glancing at Shikamaru who nodded his head in agreement. "What are you two up to?" Naruto asked abruptly, hoping to divert the conversation from Team Seven.

"Oh, not much," Nodoka answered lightly. "We just left the barbeque stand. We hadn't decided what we wanted to do next." The girl looked at Chouji who gave her a smile. Naruto arched a brow but said nothing.

"We're just wandering around," the male blond confessed. "It kills time." He forced a chuckle.

"Well, can we walk with you?" Naruto nodded in response to Nodoka's question and they set off together as a group, wandering aimlessly through Konoha.

Unlike Shikamaru and Naruto, Nodoka and Chouji seemed to need chatter. They talked back and forth, occasionally drawing the other two boys into the conversation. The calm between the four was nice and Naruto found himself somewhat glad that they didn't have missions that day. With Nodoka, Shikamaru, and Chouji it was almost as relaxing on Naruto's cluttered mind as missions would have been. Everything seemed fine. Around Naruto, though, good things didn't last very long. The calm, happy atmosphere between the four was quickly shattered by a loud scream. Naruto's heart stopped for a brief second before he took off, not surprised that Shikamaru was at his heels. If Nodoka and Chouji didn't follow, Naruto would hunt them down later and apologize. The extra footsteps assured Naruto that his other two friends had followed.

Naruto didn't stop running until he reached the alley where the scream came from and even then, he was tempted to run into the people causing such a ruckus. The blond forced himself to stop running, if only because he didn't know what they were up against. Shikamaru bumped shoulders with him and Naruto spared him a glance, not looking when someone bumped his left shoulder. Instead, the blond focused on the scene before him.

A ninja he didn't recognize was holding a small boy a few feet in the air by his shirt front while two other children stood huddled together off to the side. It took Naruto a moment to fully digest the situation and when he did, he sighed in annoyance. The male ninja was yelling at the only grandson of the Hokage.

"Hey," Naruto snapped, taking a step forward. The foreign ninja looked away from the boy to glare at Naruto. "Put him down."

The ninja sneered at him and gave the boy a shake to prove a point. "Who the hell is gonna make me?" the nin snapped. Naruto ground his teeth together, willing himself to calm down. He had had _enough_ of snarky, foreign nin to last him a long time.

"Look. I don't know who you are but I seriously think you should put Konohamaru down," Naruto stated firmly, his posture tense. He was ready to attack the nin if needed. He doubted he would need to but it was just a precaution. After the mission to Nami, Naruto wanted to be more alert, more prepared for battle. He bit his tongue as memories flashed through his mind; now was not the time. _Stop it_, he scolded himself.

"Look, you're not the boss here," the ninja snapped in reply to Naruto's warning. "I don't think I'm going to put the runt down." He turned his attention back to Konohamaru and gave him another shake. "You're a goddamn stupid kid, you know? You're not worth shit."

"Seriously," Naruto hissed, his eyes narrowing. "Put. Him. Down."

The ninja looked back to the enraged blond and smirked. "Or what?" he taunted. "You'll go get your mommy to scold me?" He chuckled at his own joke, raising his brows when Shikamaru grabbed Naruto's arms.

"Naruto, calm down," Shikamaru muttered to the blond. Naruto forcefully pulled out of Shikamaru's grip, taking another step toward Konohamaru and his capture. "How troublesome." Naruto ignored his teammate, focusing solely on Konohamaru and the foreign ninja.

"What are you gonna do?" the ninja taunted, shaking Konohamaru again. "Play ninja? Please, you don't look strong at all."

"You son of a-"

"Shikamaru!" Naruto cut the brunette off, throwing a glare over his shoulder. He was surprised to see Shikamaru with the other two kids. When had his teammate got the kids? Naruto brushed that off and exchanged glares with Shikamaru. Maybe they needed each other. That behaviour was abnormal for Shikamaru. What had happened with Sanshi? No. Naruto couldn't think about that now either. He needed to focus on getting Konohamaru out of harm's way. "Okay," Naruto said to both Shikamaru and the stranger. He turned his gaze onto the foreign nin, drawing himself to his full height. Albeit, he was kind of short, it did something to the foreign nin. His eyes darkened and he moved his hands from Konohamaru's shirt to his arms. The boy cried out in pain and Naruto inhaled sharply. "Let him go now."

"I said _no_," the ninja hissed, his grip visibly tightening on Konohamaru's arms. His grip was quickly released, though, and he shouted out in pain, dropping Konohamaru. Naruto blinked at the foreign nin and smirked when he caught sight of a rather sharp rock lying on the ground. Konohamaru wasted no time and leapt to his feet, sprinting to Naruto who easily scooped him into his arms. "What the hell?" the foreign ninja shouted, holding his hand tightly. Konohamaru pressed his face against Naruto's shoulder, whimpering slightly.

"You would attack and injure the grandson of this village's leader?" Naruto looked up sharply, his posture relaxing slightly but not completely at the sight of Uchiha Sasuke in one of the many trees that lined the alleys (and streets) of Konoha. The Uchiha clicked his tongue and jumped from the tree, landing quietly beside Naruto. Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and glared at the foreign ninja. "You're our guest and yet you harm the Honorable Grandson?" Naruto heard Konohamaru wince and he brought his hand up, rubbing the brunette's back soothingly.

"I-I… What?" the foreign ninja spluttered. "_Honorable Grandson_? How was I supposed to know?"

"Precisely what he means," Shikamaru chimed in. "Don't cause trouble here and trouble won't find you."

"What the hell! He fucking started it!"

"He's seven," Naruto stated flatly, glancing up when yet another new voice joined their conversation.

"Kankuro, what the hell!" The speaker was a female with blond hair. Her headband, which she wore around her neck, bore the same symbol as the male's headband. "Don't run off like that, you idiot! You'll cause trouble!"

"Kankuro, is it?" Naruto voiced aloud. The male glared while the female nodded. "Kankuro has caused enough trouble. Be sure to keep a close eye on him." The girl groaned and punched Kankuro's shoulder, muttering curses. "Just make sure he doesn't harm any more of Hokage-Sama's relatives when he's alone." Naruto leaned his head gently against Konohamaru's, resuming rubbing his back.

The girl sucked in a sharp breath. "Kankuro, you are so goddamn stupid! You know what this could mean, right? We'll get banned from the exams!"

The two bickered for a moment before Sasuke interrupted. "Not that this isn't absolutely enthralling, but who exactly are you?"

The girl looked at Sasuke and blushed. "I'm Temari, this idiot is Kankuro. We're Suna nin."

Sasuke eyed her for a moment. "Why is your third teammate lurking in the tree? It's irritating, honestly." Naruto looked up in surprise, looking to the tree. Indeed, there was a redhead sitting on a branch. Naruto's gut told him the redhead only moved because Sasuke said something. The boy's presence put Naruto on edge and he tensed when he jumped down from the tree.

The redhead stared at the large group of Konoha ninja for a moment before he said anything. His voice was a raspy monotone that sent chills down Naruto's spin. "Temari. Kankuro. Let's go." The redhead sent one last glance at the Konoha nin, his gaze lingering on Sasuke for a moment longer before he turned and pushed passed his teammates.

"What's your name?" Sasuke demanded, his voice carrying through the alley. The redhead stopped walking and slowly turned around to face Sasuke. Naruto glared at the redhead when their gazes met briefly and he continued his glare long after the boy looked away.

"I am Sabaku no Gaara. Who are you?" Naruto glanced at Sasuke quickly before focusing back on Gaara.

Sasuke's tone was as blank as Gaara's. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hn." The redhead glanced at Naruto and they glared at one another. "Who are you, blond?" Gaara demanded. Naruto blinked and looked over his shoulder at Nodoka who glared at him. Naruto looked back to Gaara and they levelly met eyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto replied. Gaara made no sound of acknowledgement. He merely turned and continued walking. Temari and Kankuro looked at each other and followed the redhead. Naruto waited until Gaara and his team were gone before speaking. Konohamaru still in his arms, he turned so he was facing the four Genin and the two children. "Can you four make sure Konohamaru's friends get home okay? I'll take care of Konohamaru." Sasuke grunted and quickly walked toward the children, ushering them off. Shikamaru lingered for a moment and, at Naruto's nod, followed Chouji, Sasuke, and Nodoka as they took the kids home.

Naruto crouched down when they were gone and made Konohamaru let him go. He had the boy stand by himself but let Konohamaru hold onto his hand.

"Well now, Konohamaru," Naruto murmured to the boy he'd babysat more time than he cared to count, "that was interesting, wasn't it?"

"I didn't mean to!" Konohamaru blurted. "Moegi-Chan, Udon-Kun, and I were playing tag. Moegi-Chan was it and I ran into that weird cat guy!" Naruto's lips twitched at the corners. He hadn't really paid attention to Kankuro's looks. His focus had been getting Konohamaru away from the intimidating Suna nin. "I didn't mean to!"

"Konohamaru," Naruto said as he stood up straight. He tugged on the brunette's hand and led him out of the alley as he spoke. "It's not your fault. He shouldn't have behaved that way. So don't worry, I'm not blaming you." Naruto looked down at the boy and mustered up a smile for him, causing Konohamaru to relax. "You're not against getting a snack, are you? Then I'll take you to find your pops."

Konohamaru shook his head, his scarf brushing Naruto's leg with the action. "I don't want to go see Grandpa. He'll just get that boy in trouble."

_He deserves it_, Naruto thought to himself. He didn't say that, though. It would do no good to upset Konohamaru again. Instead, he said, "Okay. Then who do you want me to leave you with?"

Konohamaru peered up at him with those huge, brown eyes of his and Naruto forced himself to look away. "Can you take me to Asuma-Oji-San?" the boy requested. Naruto nodded, trying to remember if he knew where Team Eight trained. He didn't know. They would have to ask around but Naruto was going to get Konohamaru to Asuma, despite the irritation it was sure to cause. Naruto lead Konohamaru to Maki's and they got seated rather quickly. They agreed on a quick snack and what seemed like seconds later, Naruto was dropping Konohamaru off with Asuma after explaining what happened to the older man in hushed tones so his team wouldn't overhear. With Kiba and Shino on the team, Naruto was unsure of how secret what happened was but he comforted himself with knowing he tried to keep it on the down low.

Naruto bid the boy farewell and set off to find his friends. He had to wonder if they even stuck together. If they didn't, he would head home and take a nap or something counterproductive like that. With that in mind, Naruto set off, hoping he wouldn't find his friends. A nap sounded really good at the moment.


	22. Side Chapter: Sasuke Is Legal Now!

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** A little late, but not too bad. I had to write this three times before I liked what I got. Just a note: Sai and Naruto's relationship is one hundred percent platonic and friendly. NOTHING is going on between them. And nothing ever will. Sai is like an emotionless teddy bear to Naruto. Okay. Sunday is the official start of the Chuunin exams! So, enjoy this (mostly) calm chapter!

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Naruto had to admit that planning a party wasn't all he thought it was going to be. In his head, it was simple. Make the invitations, get party decorations, pick a location and time, and get food. The theory behind party-planning was easy. It was the actual practice that had Naruto stumped. Naruto managed to pick a place for the party, training field eight. It was where Team Seven had officially become a team and Naruto found it fitting for his teammate's birthday party. That was basically all Naruto managed to accomplish. He didn't know what time was a good time for a party because he'd never been to one before. He didn't know what types of food would be acceptable at a party for the same reason. As for decorations and invitations, Naruto didn't have an eye for décor and he didn't know what kind of paper would make a good invitation. In short, Naruto was stuck.

A part of the blond didn't want to go ask for help. Part of him wanted to keep this all to himself. He wanted to be the one that Sasuke looked at in surprise and gratitude. It was selfish and slightly stupid of him, he knew, but he couldn't help feel that way. In the short three months they had been Team Seven, Naruto had truly grown attached to both Shikamaru and Sasuke. He wanted to be the one who got the credit for making Sasuke's thirteenth birthday awesome. It was stupid of him, though. At the rate he was going, he might as well quit if he wasn't going to ask for help. Naruto grumbled to himself as he walked to his bedroom to put on a shirt. He tugged on a black tank top and briskly walked to his front door. He tapped on his shoes and grabbed both his keys and his wallet before he ducked out of his apartment.

Naruto jogged out of eastern Konoha, not wanting to waste his time with the scum of the village (he often ignored the fact that he was considered part of that scum). He couldn't afford to. Sasuke's birthday was looming –it was less than a week away. He probably should have sought out help sooner but it was a matter of pride and selfishness. The blond shook those thoughts from his head. _Focus_, he told himself firmly. He needed to find Shikamaru. His lazy friend would be of some help. The only problem Naruto was facing with finding the lazy brunette was that he didn't know where Shikamaru would be. Naruto didn't stop moving despite the sudden realization. Instead, he went through a list of places Shikamaru might be, deciding to check them in order of closeness.

The academy was the closest place, so Naruto quickly made his trip there. He scoured the building to no avail and he turned his attentions on Maki's International Pleasures. Naruto explained the situation to the seating host and spent about fifteen minutes searching the restaurant for someone who wasn't there anyway. Naruto left and quickly made his way to the library. He doubted Shikamaru would spend his Saturday reading but it was worth a shot. His teammate turned out not to be there either, leaving Naruto with a blank.

Muttering to himself, Naruto quickly made his way toward the outskirts of Konoha. The hills were plentiful and the grass was smooth to the touch out there. The trees were high and the branches cast shadows good for relaxing in. If Shikamaru wasn't there, Naruto would have to give up on finding his teammate for the day. Luck seemed to be on his side. That or he should have just looked there in the first place.

Shikamaru was easy to spot. In a sea of green, he was the only brown spot. When Naruto spotted him, he sighed in relief; not only would it irritate him that he wasted time looking for someone he couldn't find, it would stress Naruto out. This party was something he really wanted to have planned and once he got passed his pride, he accepted that he needed help and doing it alone would only make him sick.

"Hey," Naruto called out to his teammate. "Shikamaru! Have you been here all day?" Naruto jogged the ten feet over to his teammate who grumbled and sat up, staring at Naruto through his lashes.

"Yeah," Shikamaru muttered. "I've been here since about nine." He yawned and blinked up at Naruto. "Why? What's going on?"

Naruto pursed his lips and looked away, staring out across the hills. He rested his eyes on the Hokage monument which sat proudly in the afternoon light a couple miles away from where they were. Naruto stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and his fingers found his keys and they began to fiddle with them.

Taking a breath, Naruto mumbled out, "I need your help."

There was a beat of silence where Naruto stared at the Hokage monument and Shikamaru stared at him. Both wore blank expressions; Naruto's hid his shame at needing help while Shikamaru's hid his confusion. The silence only lasted for a few moments, broken by Shikamaru who muttered about troublesome blonds as he pushed himself up from the ground. He gave Naruto a small smile and clapped the blond on the shoulder.

"What are teammates for?" Shikamaru asked lightly. "What do you need help with?"

Naruto looked at him and arched his brows briefly before shaking off his surprise. "Sasuke's birthday is coming up."

"And you know this because…?" Shikamaru stared firmly at Naruto who stared back indifferently.

"I just know. I wanted to throw him a surprise party."

"What is the problem, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, raising his eyebrows at the blond.

Naruto hesitated before saying, "I've never been to a party. I don't know how they go."

Shikamaru sighed and grabbed Naruto's wrist, tugging him off. Naruto obediently followed. He spent almost two hours searching for Shikamaru, he wasn't just going to leave him. That would have been a waste of his time and that wasn't something Naruto could okay. Time was precious. He bit his lip as Itachi flashed across his mind and he brought his free hand up to cover his mouth. Shikamaru either didn't notice or chose to ignore the motions. Naruto was thankful that Shikamaru was leading him because he would have bumped into people otherwise. It took the blond a few minutes to pull himself together and they were still walking afterward. They walked for a good fifteen minutes before Shikamaru stopped to open the door of a house.

"Welcome to my home," Shikamaru announced as he walked in. He released Naruto's wrist and kicked off his shoes, Naruto following suite. Shikamaru jerked his head to an open doorway to the left of the front door. "This way." Naruto padded slowly after Shikamaru, looking around the house as he went. It was a quaint home and Naruto felt warm just being in it. There were pictures everywhere Naruto looked. At least one picture was on a wall. No wall was left undecorated and suddenly Naruto understood why he was at Shikamaru's house. The brunette lead him into what looked like the living room. A man that looked very much like Shikamaru sat in a large, plushy chair while a woman who seemed to only share Shikamaru's hair colour sat on one of the sofas in the room. Shikamaru cleared his throat when they entered, stopping a few feet away from the sofa the woman was on. Naruto stopped a few inches behind his teammate.

The woman looked up and a smile split her face as her gaze set on Shikamaru. Shikamaru nodded and the woman looked to Naruto, her smile turning confused. That was new. Naruto was used to disgusted glares from adults. The gentle look in this woman's eye surprised him.

Naruto was drawn out of his musing by the other man's voice. "Shikamaru. I thought you were going to cloud watch."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Naruto needs my help, so my plans changed." Naruto watched as the man's expression went from shocked to understanding very quickly. "Oh yeah…" Shikamaru sighed loudly and stepped aside, motioning to the older male. "Naruto, this is my dad Shikaku. Dad, this is Naruto. The crazy woman over there is my mom, Yoshino." Naruto gave a little wave to the adults and looked back at Shikamaru, raising his eye brow at the boy. "So troublesome… Mom," the brunette boy grumbled to himself and looked up at his mom. "Can you help? Sasuke's birthday is next week. We need help designing the party area."

Yoshino stood quickly with a smile on her face. "Where will the party be held?" At this, the three Naras turned their gazes onto the lone blond in the room. Naruto stood there for a moment, looking between them.

"Training field eight. It's where we became a team. Sentimental value," Naruto offered quietly, folding his arms across his chest as he spoke.

"For Uchiha-Kun, you say?" Yoshino asked, directing the question to her son who nodded. "I think I can manage something. Come along. Shikaku, don't forget to check the sheets. Boys, to the kitchen."

[ X x X ]

Surprisingly, Yoshino was easy to work with. She accepted what the boys suggested and said and she threw out her own ideas. Eventually, they settled on a dark colour scheme, mainly dark blues and purples. Shikamaru drew up a basic plan of what the two tables they would have would look like (Naruto hadn't known Shikamaru could draw) and the two boys left to go to the store to get the things they would need. Yoshino had also suggested getting crème coloured invitations to give off a welcoming feel and they could attach dark decorations at a later date. Naruto and Shikamaru spent as little time as possible at the shop Yoshino had suggested and they still came out with what they needed. Naruto left the invitation at the Nara home and took the party decorations back to his apartment. He stashed them in the linen cupboard and promptly took a bath.

The next few days were spent balancing missions and party-planning. Naruto managed to catch Kakashi alone and he told the Jounin their plans and passed him the first invitation from their stack. Yoshino handed out the invitations to parents and that was pretty much it. It had been agreed that Naruto would make the food the morning of the party so that by two pm it would be ready and then the Naras would help him cart the food to training field eight. After that it was pretty simple, like it had been in Naruto's mind when he initially set out to plan this party.

[ X x X ]

Kakashi had been very casual about the 23rd of July. Sasuke didn't mention his birthday, nor did his teammates. Kakashi had mentioned in passing that around two they would go to training field eight and get in some training since the three boys had agreed to taking the Chuunin exams. Sasuke hadn't thought anything of it.

The boys of Team Seven spent the morning apart; Shikamaru was helping his mother set up the party and Naruto was busy making Sasuke's favourite dishes as well as some traditional dishes while Shikaku and a handful of Naruto's clones waited around for dishes to finish. Whenever a dish was done and wrapped in protective plastic, either a clone or Shikaku would deliver the dish to the training field and return. The morning passed in a flurry of action. Around one-thirty, Naruto dispelled his clones and Shikaku headed out, leaving Naruto alone. Twenty minutes later, Naruto jogged to the training field to join in the surprise.

As they waited for Sasuke, Naruto had to admit that Yoshino and Shikamaru did a good job of setting up. There were two tables, both from the Nara household. One table was circular and held a cake in the center. Presents were piled all around the cake but it was clear the cake was the main attraction of the table. About five feet in front of that table was a long, rectangular table filled with the dishes Naruto had prepared. The tables were decorated in dark blue table cloths with dark purple napkins. The food table had black plates, black bowls, and black chopsticks as well as some plastic spoons for the soup. There was a banner hanging from some trees happily proclaiming 'Happy Birthday' with a few exclamation points. All in all, it looked very nice.

Everyone had arrived at around the same time as Naruto. Everyone except Sasuke that was. Naruto was absently picking at a table cloth when the Uchiha in question arrived and he was the last person to shout 'surprise' at the startled boy. Sasuke's arrival cued everyone into socializing. A few people (namely Kiba, Chouji, and Asahina) attacked the food with fury, piling their plates as high as they could carry.

The party was a calm affair. There was enough food, even with Chouji's appetite and Akamaru's constant begging, so no one was complaining about being hungry. Sasuke kept to himself, grunting whenever someone talked to him. Naruto munched on some rice, observing the party. He wasn't used to being at parties, so he wanted to see what they were like for future reference. Maybe he would be less awkward if there was another party in the future. He scoffed at that and shoveled some sticky rice into his mouth, nodding at Nodoka as she walked passed him with Riika and Naomi.

The blond absently brushed some stray rice bits from his face as Shikamaru walked passed him. Shikamaru came back after a few moments with a bowl of soup. He stood beside Naruto and sipped idly at the bowl. Naruto glanced at his teammate and casually leaned his head against the brunette's shoulder. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh; even though it was a party, Naruto couldn't help but be tense. It wasn't anything in particular, Naruto was just tense. He was still suffering flashbacks from their mission in Nami no Kuni and it kept him up at night and it kept him stressed and alert. That probably had something to do with why he was so tense.

"Sasuke is having fun," Shikamaru murmured, his tone monotonous. "He's talking to Kai and Shino right now. It's more of a monosyllabic conversation but they're getting along." Naruto hummed. "Even Kakashi-Sensei is socializing. I wasn't aware that he knew Yamanaka-San."

Naruto opened his eyes and sought out Kakashi, surprised that he was in a conversation with both Ino's father and the Hokage.

"What's your point?" Naruto grumbled, lifting his head from Shikamaru's shoulder. He finished off the rice in his bowl and looked at the brunette who was staring at him firmly.

"Why aren't you talking to people?"

Naruto rolled his eyes at Shikamaru who only glared back. "I don't know how I'm supposed to act," Naruto finally admitted quietly. "But it's not about me today. Sasuke's legal by law; we should be celebrating his ability to be intimate with someone."

Shikamaru snorted into his bowl. "Who? Us?" Naruto stared at Shikamaru blankly before scrunching up his nose. He shivered at the thought and shook his head.

"You, maybe," Naruto teased, letting out a laugh when Shikamaru choked on his soup. Naruto pounded on his friend's back until Shikamaru stopped coughing and only laughed harder at the look the brunette gave him.

"No thank you," Shikamaru hissed as he wiped his face off with the collar of his shirt. The brunette glanced at Sasuke before saying, "Why not you, though? You match."

"We match," Naruto repeated flatly. "I don't see how. And my birthday isn't until October." It wasn't only that. Not that Shikamaru would ever find out, but thinking about Sasuke in any way aside from a friendly or familial way made his stomach churn. It was disturbing, if only for the fact that Naruto had his heart elsewhere. "Ugh, let's not talk about this." Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and finished off his soup. When he was done, Naruto asked for the time.

"Quarter to three."

Naruto's brows shot up and he set his empty bowl inside Shikamaru's, dropping his chopsticks in as well. He ignored the annoyed look the brunette gave him and stated, "We need to do presents." Shikamaru grumbled about troublesome blonds and walked off to the table where the cake and presents were. Naruto glared at his back and walked over to the food table, turning so he was facing everyone. In as loud a voice as Naruto could muster, he stated, "Everyone. It's time to do presents!"

Despite his best attempts, Naruto's voice wasn't loud enough to carry to everyone and it definitely wasn't loud enough to carry over the chatter of the Genin and their parents. The only people who heard him were Shino's dad and Kiba's mom, both who looked at him for a moment. Shino's dad nodded to the woman and walked leisurely over to the present table. Naruto watched in confusion but his confusion was quickly rectified. He flinched as the woman beside him cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled out.

"Everyone! Get your butts over here! We're doing presents!"

Naruto rubbed his ears and thanked the woman in his quiet voice, receiving only a grin and a thump on the back before she walked off. Naruto stayed where he was as everyone else mobbed the table. The blond caught Sasuke's arm as the Uchiha approached and they exchanged looks. Sasuke was uncomfortable and Naruto was sorry for that. He hadn't set out to make Sasuke uncomfortable, only happy. Or at least content. Naruto rubbed his thumb gently on his friend's arm and pulled him to the table. Kiba's mom handed him a package which he passed to Sasuke.

Sasuke forced a smirk at the blond and Naruto squeezed his arm briefly before he let go. Sasuke looked down at the package. "It's from Shino," he announced dryly, not looking up as he opened it. Naruto peered over at the present; it was a book called 'Bugs Of The World'. Sasuke thumped Naruto's head with the book and the blond took the book, tucking it under his arm. Kiba's mom handed the Uchiha the next present directly instead of handing it to Naruto. "From Chouji…" Naruto watched Sasuke unwrap yet another book. "Thank you," Sasuke muttered, passing the book off to Naruto. Naruto contemplated the cook book that Chouji bought, deciding he might borrow it from Sasuke at a later date. "From Ino," Sasuke groused. "Ah... I have needed new kunai. Thank you." He handed the box to Naruto and the blond admired the kunai set before Sasuke spoke again. "From Sakura. Hn. Thank you." Naruto accepted the book on chakra control and looked up, amused by the glares Ino and Sakura were giving each other. "Hinata… New shoes?" Naruto rolled his eyes when Sasuke looked down at his own shoes and grunted. He accepted the shoe box and carefully began organizing the current presents he had been handed. Hopefully someone got something that needed a bag so he could put the presents in the bag instead of juggling them in his arms.

"From Nodoka. Che." Naruto looked up in surprise and smirked at the new clothes Sasuke was shoving back into the bag.

"You have horrible taste in clothing, Uchiha-Kun," Nodoka announced from the other side of the table. A few of the boys laughed and Naruto snorted, flinching when Sasuke threw the bag at him. Someone reached over and took the bag. Naruto looked up at Shino's dad and nodded thankfully as the man held the bag open. Naruto quickly fitted the books and the kunai set into the bag and he set it and the shoe box at his feet, peering over as Sasuke was handed a rather large box by Kiba's mom.

Sasuke grunted and Naruto dipped in to help him hold the box. "From Kiba," Sasuke stated before he opened the box. "…Why?" he questioned, looking up. Naruto stared down at the fur lined coat. It looked thick and heavy, something more for winter than summer. The blond reached in and ran his fingers along the fur, not surprised that it was faux fur. Being that it was summer, it probably hadn't been that expensive.

Kiba let out a loud laugh. "You'll need it this winter! Maybe even now! You always look so cold!" He laughed loudly again and Naruto rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth when Sasuke slammed the box closed and shoved it forcefully against Naruto's chest. The blond glared at Sasuke and set the box on the ground. He watched the Uchiha open five different cards from Kentaro, Kai, Takemaru, Renji and Ryuuga. Each boy had put about fifty ryou in the cards. Sasuke handed the cards, ryou and all, to Naruto and the blond put them in the box with the fur coat. There were two small booklets of coupons to Maki's from Riina and Asahina which Naruto put in with the books. Naomi made some onigiri which Sasuke handed to Naruto after taking one. That caused Naruto to smirk –the Uchiha really did love his onigiri.

Chatter picked up as Sasuke ate his onigiri. When he finished, Kiba's mom handed him a scroll and card. They were from the Hokage and it was a scroll on Genin level fire style jutsu that Naruto put in with the books. Kiba's mom handed Sasuke a box and Naruto caught Ino's father smirking. "From Yamanaka Inoichi," Sasuke read aloud before opening the plain white box. Naruto hummed and Sasuke grunted at the well-stocked first aid kit. Naruto took it and set it atop the shoe box. The next present was a small box, slightly smaller than Sasuke's palm. The sticky note attached to it said it was from Shikamaru, which Sasuke said aloud. He carefully opened the box and he inhaled sharply.

Naruto raised his brows curiously and leaned in to see what the brunette could have bought for Sasuke that would cause such a reaction. A soft smile lit up Naruto's face when he saw what was nestled inside the box. It was a sterling silver ring with the Uchiha family emblem etched into the metal. On the left side of the emblem, it read, 'FAM' and on the right side, the word was concluded with, 'ILY'. Naruto reached up and rubbed Sasuke's shoulder, not surprised when the Uchiha slipped the ring onto his left middle finger. He took the ring box and set it inside the bag with the books. The last present caused some of the Genin to mutter while Kakashi stood as far away from the table as social possible with a smile obvious beneath his mask.

The package was thin, about two inches wide. Length-wise, it was probably six inches longer than Sasuke's arm. "Kakashi," Sasuke spoke, his tone more of a warning than anything. Kiba's mom grumbled about disrespectful kids beside the blond and Naruto smirked, leaning in to whisper to her.

"He's always like that," he whispered. She looked at him in surprise.

"And Kakashi-Kun takes it?" she questioned. Naruto nodded and shrugged at her disapproving look, leaning away to watch Sasuke open the package. He tore off the black wrapping paper and carefully pulled the lid off of the white box.

"Oh Kami-Sama," Sasuke breathed. Naruto arched his brow and watched as Sasuke delicately reached into the box. With a quick motion, Sasuke pulled out a katana. The katana had an obsidian blade and a dark brown handle with the Uchiha emblem etched into the side. Naruto gave a low whistle and only stared when Sasuke shot him an amused look.

"Geez Sensei," Naruto said, "way to show the rest of us up." The blond only quirked a brow when Kakashi rolled his eye at him.

"You didn't even get him anything," Kakashi shot back. Naruto's eyes drifted back to the present table which only had the cake on it. The blond shrugged and looked at Sasuke who hadn't looked away from the katana.

The guests were quiet for a moment as Sasuke admired his new weapon. With a roll of his eyes, Naruto clapped his hands. "Okay guys," he said in his quiet voice. He was lucky that it was quiet or he probably would have had to get Kiba's mom to talk for him again. "We're going to have some cake. Well, you are. I'm going to take this stuff," he motioned to the presents, "to Sasuke's place. It makes the cleanup easier. Inuzuka-San, would you kindly cut the cake?" Naruto looked over to the brunette woman who grinned at him.

"It's Tsume, kid, and yeah, sure." Naruto watched her as she turned and barked at everyone to form a line if they wanted some cake. Sasuke carefully put away his katana and walked over to Naruto. The Uchiha glanced at the cake and then to Naruto.

"I don't like sweets," Sasuke informed him dully.

"I am aware," Naruto replied. "It's for them," he nodded at the single-file line Tsume had created. "Shikamaru and Yoshino-San said parties usually had cake."

Sasuke quirked a brow and leaned down to pick up the bag. Naruto grabbed the coat and the shoe boxes and followed Sasuke as the Uchiha began leaving the training field.

"Haven't you been to parties before?" Sasuke muttered, turning left once they were out of the training field. Naruto shook his head and looked straight ahead, causing his teammate to drop it. It took them twenty minutes to get to Sasuke's house and only ten to get back because they ran. Most of the people were still at the training field, eating and having a good time. Asahina, Ryuuga, and Riina were gone as were their parents but that didn't seem to deter anyone else. Naruto jogged over to Tsume and she handed him some cake when she saw him. Naruto thanked her quietly and went to stand with Shikamaru who was conversing with Shino and his dad about shōgi. Naruto rested his head on Shikamaru's shoulder and picked absently at his slice of cake as he listened to them discuss different tactics.

They stayed like that until Shikamaru seemed to get irritated. "You made the cake, eat it," Shikamaru told the blond firmly. Naruto pulled away from his friend and raised his eyebrows at the firm tone the brunette took.

"What is your problem suddenly?" Naruto wondered aloud.

Shikamaru shook his head. "_You're_ acting weird. Eat your cake." Naruto rolled his eyes and went back to picking at his cake. He listened as Shino and his dad excused themselves. As soon as they were out of earshot, Shikamaru rounded on Naruto. "What's wrong? I'm not an idiot."

"I'm fine, Shikamaru," Naruto stated, his tone blank. "I'm just thinking. After we clean up, will you come back to my place? I have something for Sasuke and I want you to be there." Naruto looked up at Shikamaru and had to look away at the soft look in the brunette's eyes.

"Yeah. Next time, don't act so weird," Shikamaru told him. "And eat your cake." The brunette smirked at him and walked off, going to the food table. Naruto rolled his eye and proceeded to eat his slice of cake.

Sasuke's surprise party continued on until around five when all but Shikamaru, Yoshino. Shikaku, Naruto, and Sasuke left. Naruto created a few clones to help them clean up and within a half hour, the training field was clean and the tables were back at the Nara household. Yoshino and Shikaku bid the boys goodbye and left.

When they were gone, Sasuke spoke. "What?" he demanded, rounding on Naruto and Shikamaru. Shikamaru looked at Naruto with a look that plainly said it was on the blond. Naruto glared at Shikamaru and adjusted his shirt before answering Sasuke's demands.

"Your present is at my house. Come on." Naruto took a few steps forward and turned around, looking both his teammates in the eye. "If you tell anyone where I live, the only reason I will acknowledge you will be because of missions." There was a tense pause in the air and Naruto turned, walking off quickly.

It took them almost an hour to reach eastern Konoha. Neither Sasuke nor Shikamaru said anything but Naruto could tell they were both uncomfortable with being in the seedy side of the village. He didn't comment on it either, though. He just let the awkward comments sit in the air. They could wait until they reached the safety of his apartment. Naruto quickly led them through the maze of apartments and druggies and it was less than five minutes after entering the seedy neighborhood that they got to Naruto's apartment complex. He led them up the stairs outside the building and to his apartment. Once both boys were in and the door was locked, Naruto relaxed. He kicked off his shoes and glanced around the apartment, scrunching his nose.

"Sai?" he hollered as he emptied his pockets, dumping his wallet and keys on the table by the door. "You here?" He waited a beat and shrugged, looking back at his teammates. "You're good. Make yourselves at home." Naruto stretched as he walked down the tiny hall to his room. He ducked into his bedroom and went to the closet, dragging his desk chair behind him. His small stature made it very difficult to reach the top shelf of his closet but with his chair, his height was a moot point. Naruto hopped onto his chair and pulled down the wrapped present he'd picked out for Sasuke. When he saw it in the store window, he had to buy it even if it meant not eating properly for a couple months. He would survive. It wasn't that the owner made him pay double or anything, it was that what he bought was one of a kind and very expensive. It was simply gorgeous and definitely fit the Uchiha. At least in his mind it did.

Naruto left his chair there and went back into the living room-slash-kitchen. Sasuke was laying on Naruto's loveseat and Shikamaru was laying on the three seat sofa perpendicular to the love seat. Upon Naruto's entrance, though, both boys sat up. Naruto shook his head and walked to the kitchen, setting the present down.

"Drinks?" he asked softly.

"Water," Sasuke answered immediately as he settled into the love seat again.

"Milk?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto blinked and walked over to his fridge, chuckling at the sight of a carton of milk with a sticky note on it. He withdrew the carton and skimmed the sticky note, amused that Sai would go out of his way to buy him some milk. Why didn't the teen just move in with him? Right. No room. Naruto took the sticky note off and tucked it into his pocket before he grabbed three glasses. He filled one with water and two with milk. The blond put the milk away, tucked the present under his arm, and carefully carried the three drinks into the living room part of the room. He handed Shikamaru his milk and Sasuke his water before sitting down beside the Uchiha. With a sigh, Naruto handed Sasuke the wrapped package. It slightly resembled Kakashi's except it was wider by two or three inches. Sasuke looked at him oddly and set down his water before tearing the wrapping paper off of the package.

Naruto leaned back against the arm of the love seat and sipped at his milk, watching Sasuke's face as he took the lid off the box. He pulled out a large black case and carefully opened it. Naruto watched as his eyes went wide and his jaw went slack. A look of pride crossed Naruto's face and it vanished when the Uchiha looked up, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Naruto cocked his head to the side, noting that Shikamaru was on his feet. The brunette was leaning over Sasuke in seconds, staring down at the bone white flute that glimmered in the fading evening light that filtered in through the front window. Naruto only smirked when Shikamaru bore the same expression as Sasuke.

"Do you like it or should I go get a refund and find something else?" Naruto asked the Uchiha who looked on the verge of tears. Sasuke shook his head slowly and brought his hands up to cover his face. "Are you okay?" the blond asked. He set his milk down on the coffee table and leaned forward, looking at Sasuke's hands urgently. He was startled to hear Sasuke sniffle. Naruto gently reached out and pulled Sasuke's hands away from his face. He watched with barely concealed confusion as tears rolled down Sasuke's cheeks. He had never seen Sasuke cry. He didn't know the Uchiha _could_ cry. He thought, perhaps, Sasuke cried himself out years ago. "Sasuke…" Naruto breathed, reaching up to wipe away the tears his friend was shedding. "Why are you crying?"

Sasuke took a shaky breath that consisted of tearful inhales and sniffles. "You did all of this for me," Sasuke whispered, his voice firmer than Naruto would have expected. "And then you bought me this… I just..." Naruto sighed and forcefully pulled Sasuke into a hug. The blond gave Shikamaru a look and the brunette sighed as well, leaning forward to hug Sasuke. They stayed like that for a while, three boys bonded by trauma and love. Sasuke eventually pulled himself together. He locked up the flute case and set it on the table. The Uchiha picked up his water and gulped it down before he stood up.

"Leaving already?" Naruto asked, his tone slightly teasing. He held his hands up in surrender at the sharp glare Sasuke gave him. "Well okay…" The blond glanced at the door, half hoping that if Sasuke and Shikamaru left, Sai would come in. "You sure you don't want to stay for dinner? Sai probably left a recipe or two for dinner." He ignored but didn't miss the look Sasuke and Shikamaru shared at the mention of Sai. He needed to stop that.

Sasuke grunted. "Fine." Shikamaru shrugged and Naruto rose, going into the kitchen. He made some chicken breasts and mashed potatoes, making a note to ask Sai to stop doing his shopping as he cooked. The three enjoyed dinner together before Shikamaru and Sasuke decided to head out, especially considering that the Chuunin exams began the next day. Naruto created a clone and sent it off with his friends to make sure they got out of eastern Konoha unscathed.

When the other two members of Team Seven left, Naruto made his way to the bathroom for a nice soak. During his bath, the clone dispersed, letting him know his teammates got out of the seedy neighborhood alright. When he got out of the tub, he was surprised but pleased to see Sai sitting on the couch with a bowl of mashed potatoes in hand.

"Are you going to stay the night?" Naruto asked quietly as he got himself a glass of water.

"If you want," Sai replied blankly before taking a bite of potatoes.

"I could use the company," Naruto confessed. They sat quietly together on the love seat while Sai finished his bowl of mashed potatoes. When he was done, they made their way to Naruto's bedroom. Naruto fell asleep, as he had so many times when he nine and ten, to Sai's slow heartbeat and his easy breathing. He didn't dream that night, something that both reassured and frightened him. When he woke up, he was alone. There was a note on the fridge when he went into the kitchen and there were some cold eggs waiting for him. Naruto smiled to himself as he reheated the eggs; perhaps that day wouldn't be entirely awful.


	23. The Chuunin Exams!

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** I apologize, sincerely, that I haven't updated in a month. I feel awful. Just know that I'm back from my writer's block and DES is ready to rock again. I hope I haven't lost any fans. I love you all and I truly am sorry. The Chuunin exams have officially begun. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM or a review. Enjoy the chapter.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

The sunrise was a quiet affair that few people in Konoha were awake for. Those who were awake to see the sunrise basked in its quiet bliss. There were birds chirping to one another and the soft sound of chatter from the market rolled through the village. Leaves fluttered in the soft breeze and everything indicated a positive day ahead.

One person that witnessed the sunrise was inclined to disagree. Uzumaki Naruto woke up earlier than he normally would have from a nightmare. At first, the nightmares were good. They were reassuring. They meant that normalcy was being restored and that, while the mission in Mizugakure did happen, it wasn't forever and it wasn't going to define his life. The gods, however, seemed to love to play with Naruto's head. When he shot up at three in the morning, it wasn't because of the dream of not finding Itachi. It wasn't even because Sai had just climbed back into bed with him and the sound of the toilet filling echoed loudly. It was because his dreams of Haku whispering cruel nothings about him had returned. They had stopped the day Team Seven returned from Nami no Kuni. The fact that they were back did not bode well.

Naruto spent the morning in the bath, soaking. A part of him thought that maybe if he took a bath, the clenching feeling in his gut would go away. Two hours later, his shoulders were tense and his stomach hadn't relaxed. Another hour passed and, while he had eaten, Naruto didn't feel much better. Days like that made him wish he could just skip out on real life and stay in bed. He knew, though, that he couldn't. At seven, Naruto was out of his apartment, bidding Sai farewell and making the pale teen promise to lock up when he left.

Naruto's pace was quicker than usual. He needed to be moving. His gut was twisting and, as he learned on their mission, that wasn't a good thing. The blond was tense as he approached the academy and he (childishly) thought that the exams would be everyone in Konoha attacking him. Being so on edge, Naruto was startled when he heard his name being called. He stood straight up and looked around for the source, relaxing when he saw his two teammates standing nearer the academy entrance than he was.

"Good morning," Naruto called out in monotone, shoving his hands in his pockets. He slouched a little and made his way over to the Uchiha and the Nara waiting for him.

"Good morning," the two intoned in unison. Naruto's eyes flickered between the pair and he blinked at them. Since when did Sasuke and Shikamaru speak in unison? Had they bonded the night before after they left Naruto? That made his heart twinge. They so loathed his apartment that they had to leave and then spend time together? _No, they just had two hours to bond_, Naruto scolded himself. He grumbled under his breath and looked at his teammates.

"Well?" he asked blandly," shall we?" Shikamaru nodded while Sasuke only grunted. Naruto took that as a yes and made his way to the academy doors. He pulled one door open and held it for his teammates, following them closely as they entered the school. Naruto glanced around, wondering where everyone was.

"Do we even know where to go?" Shikamaru asked aloud. Naruto stared at him, confused and amused by the fact that the brunette seemed to speak his thoughts aloud.

"Third floor," Sasuke said flatly. When both his teammates looked at him blankly, he snapped, "What?"

Naruto shook his head and pushed between the two dark haired boys, leading the way toward the stair case. It didn't really matter how Sasuke knew, anyway. Naruto sighed and ducked his mouth behind his headband, keeping his gaze on the floor. He led the way through the school quietly, the only sounds being Team Seven's footsteps and breathing. It didn't take them very long to reach the stairs and they took the stairs rather quickly, emerging at the top of the stairs within seconds. Naruto's gut clenched at the sight of the mob of Genin, their voices rather loud. Something was off about the situation. He could have sworn they just walked up one flight of stairs, but the room everyone seemed to be crowding around stated that it was room 304. Naruto furrowed his brows and he glanced to his left at Shikamaru who was staring blankly at everyone. Sasuke grunted beside him, drawing Naruto's attention to his right side.

The two boys stared at one another for a moment before Sasuke looked away, staring at the crowd instead. They stood there for a few minutes, just watching and listening to the crowd. There were two boys standing in front of the door that everyone crowded, mocking them. After one of the boys said that everyone was too weak to get in, Naruto stopped listening. Instead, he surveyed the Genin in the hall. He recognized most of them from the academy or from doing odd jobs around the village but he didn't know anyone by name.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto muttered to his teammates, "Let's just go."

"Okay," Shikamaru replied, stepping forward. At Sasuke's words, however, he fell back.

"Why not tell them?"

Naruto turned an incredulous gaze to the Uchiha. "And just add on to the competition?" he snapped quietly. His gut was telling him that Sasuke was being stupid. They didn't need to draw any attention to themselves. That was the whole point of the exams, right? To prove that they were able to actually be ninja? "Sasuke," Naruto stated flatly. "If they can't figure it out for themselves, why should we help? If they can't pick up on a simple genjutsu, then why should they become Chuunin?" The two boys stared at each other for a few moments while someone started yelling in the mob. Sasuke looked away first and scoffed.

"Someone needs to step in," the Uchiha stated, causing Naruto to look where his teammate was looking. A boy in a garish green outfit was arguing with one of the boys in front of the door and his posture indicated he was ready for a fight with said boy. "And they need to feel stupid." Naruto glared and ducked his mouth behind his headband. He did not want to see Sasuke being stupid. He heard it, though. The Genin gasped and Shikamaru sighed loudly.

There was a quiet pause before someone spoke. Naruto didn't recognize the voice but he really didn't want to look up and see his teammate causing a spectacle. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Saving you," Sasuke's voice replied. So the guy in the green outfit was the speaker. "And," the dark haired teen added, "You're all completely stupid." Naruto rolled his eyes and looked over at Shikamaru. He jerked his head toward the crowd and the Nara nodded, stepping forward. Naruto followed Shikamaru through the mostly still crowd as Sasuke continued to talk. "This is only the second floor. Can't you see through a simple genjutsu?" Naruto sneered and looked up, meeting Sasuke's gaze. The Uchiha stared at him for a moment before he looked back to the green clad boy. Naruto looked away and pushed out of the crowd after Shikamaru. The brunette stopped and turned so he was facing both Naruto and the crowd.

There was a lull in the mob of Genin as Sasuke's words sunk in. When they did, there was a murmur and one of the boys guarding the door laughed.

"So you saw through our genjutsu," he said, bringing up his hand in the hand sign of the ram. "_Kai_," he muttered and the sign labeling the room wrinkled for a second before it returned to normal, proclaiming the room to be two-oh-four. "Only one of you saw through the genjutsu? Feh. You're all a bunch of stupid Genin. Good luck bombing your exams." With those parting words, the boy who spoke turned and opened the door and the two boys disappeared into the room. Chatter broke out and, with a smirk, Sasuke pushed his way to his team.

Naruto rolled his eyes and nudged Shikamaru with his shoulder. Shikamaru turned and took a few quick steps to the next set of stairs, Naruto and Sasuke behind him. Naruto's stomach clenched and he brought his arms in against him tightly as if that would stop the gut feeling.

The trip up the stairs was a quick affair and they seemed to be the only ones going up. The rest of the Genin seemed content to stay on the second floor. Team Seven was quiet as they walked around the third floor in search of where they needed to go. Naruto's gut was relaxing and he was beginning to think that maybe he would head back to his trashy apartment feeling mostly good about his day. The blond bit his tongue to prevent an irritated comment when someone called out to their team.

"Hey! Hey, wait up!" the voice shouted. Naruto recognized it as the boy in green's voice. He dipped his mouth back behind his head band and slowly turned to face the boy as did his two teammates. Surprisingly, the boy wasn't alone. He had a pale brunette boy and a tanned brunette girl with him. The boy in green waved, smiling brightly at the three boys. "Hey. I am Rock Lee. You," he said, looking at Sasuke, "have amazing speed! It surprised me when you caught my kick. Not even Neji can do that." The boy behind Rock Lee scoffed and looked away and Naruto was struck by how much the boy already resembled Sasuke. That was kind of unfair, considering the only person of Team Seven who didn't act like that was Kakashi, but still. "Do not mind him. He is just upset that someone is faster than him."

"Lee," the boy warned.

"Oh, right!" Lee said excitedly. He motioned to the boy behind him. "This is Hyuuga Neji and this," he indicated the girl, "is TenTen." He smiled brightly back at Sasuke who only stared at him. "And who are you? And your teammates?"

"Hn," Sasuke grumbled. "Uchiha Sasuke. And my teammates, Nara Shikamaru and Uzumaki Naruto." At his name, Naruto looked up, nodding to each of Lee's teammates.

"Uchiha?" Lee asked, his smile widening. Naruto blinked, having not been aware someone's face could go that wide. "Wonderful! If you would not mind, do you think you and I would be able to have a small spar? I have always wanted to spar with a member of the Uchiha clan!" Naruto sighed, hoping that Sasuke would be logical and refuse.

"Fine," Sasuke grunted. Naruto rolled his eyes, irritation coursing through him. Maybe he would just wait for their spar to end. That seemed simple enough. He couldn't, though. In the same way that he couldn't have just left Sasuke to fight Haku in the mirror jutsu, Naruto couldn't let some random boy take Sasuke somewhere and spar without him there. Certainly, he wouldn't jump into the fray but he wouldn't let Sasuke be without his support. One glance at Shikamaru told Naruto that he felt the same. So, begrudgingly, Naruto followed Sasuke and Lee back down the stairs, Shikamaru at his side. As they walked, Naruto offered out his hand to Shikamaru who took it with little hesitation.

Lee led them to a small arena on the second floor that Naruto vaguely remembered being used as a punishment in his class. Whenever someone acted up, they had to run around the arena for twenty minutes. Naruto and Shikamaru stood near the exit of the arena while Sasuke and Lee took their stances in the middle of the room.

"No jutsu. Only hand-to-hand. Is that acceptable, Uchiha Sasuke?" Lee said aloud. Sasuke grunted. "Alright. Would one of you," Lee looked over to Shikamaru and Naruto, "please call begin?"

Naruto grumbled and Lee nodded, looking back to Sasuke. Both boys were smirking, although Sasuke's was less obvious than Lee's. After a few seconds, Naruto called out in monotone, "Begin."

The two black haired boys shot at each other, exchanging blows at a rapid pace. Naruto leaned his head on Shikamaru's shoulder and watched the action unfold before them. Sasuke would punch and Lee would return the favor, occasionally mixing it up with a roundhouse kick or a knee to the gut. Sasuke wasn't to be taken lightly, though. Naruto watched avidly as Sasuke threw in some moves he'd only seen Momochi Zabuza use. That was something; take from what you see, though, right? Naruto was proud of his teammate though a little bit irritated. All he wanted to do was take the test and go home. He didn't want to stand around and watch his too-proud teammate fight someone who complimented his speed. It really wasn't what he wanted to do.

The spar continued at much the same pace until Lee laughed. Naruto looked between the two, trying to figure out what was so funny. He noticed, then, that the sparring pair were doing exactly the same moves. The only explanation for that was the Sharingan. On closer inspection, yes, Sasuke had activated his Kekkei Genkai. Naruto only blinked at the smile on Lee's face and he watched in fascination as Lee launched himself at Sasuke, kicking him in the stomach.

Instead of going across the room, like Naruto expected, Sasuke was kicked up. Lee followed and they were in the air. Lee punched Sasuke in the back and then grabbed the Uchiha's shoulders, flinging him to the ground. Naruto tore away from Shikamaru as Sasuke landed on the floor of the arena with a loud smack.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, ignoring Shikamaru's shout of his own name and Lee's confused question. Naruto was at Sasuke's side in seconds and he pulled the teen up gingerly. The blond ignored the irritated look Sasuke was giving him favor of making sure he was okay.

_He stood there, horror on his face as Sasuke stared down at him with an annoyed expression. His Sharingan had faded away and now his eyes were just empty black orbs. He coughed blood onto Naruto and his body went limp._

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut for a minute to get rid of the flash back and he took a step away from Sasuke, looking off to the side so he wouldn't have to face the Uchiha when he opened his eyes. He should have known. If the dreams of Haku started up, so would the memories. His day just seemed to get worse. Naruto dug his nails into his palms and he opened his eyes, staring at the blank wall to his left. He listened as Lee spoke to Sasuke, thanking him for their spar. Sasuke grunted and Naruto felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked over at the person, meeting Shikamaru's gaze. The Nara smiled sadly at him and took his hand, carefully pulling Naruto's blunt nails out of his hand.

"C'mon," Shikamaru muttered. "You're so troublesome. Let's just go take these tests and be done." Naruto nodded in agreement and let himself be led away. Shikamaru led him after Sasuke and Lee , up to the third floor. Lee bid them farewell and took the hallway to their right, jogging down it.

Team Seven was quiet for a moment. "Okay," Naruto stated, breaking the quiet, "We need to find Kakashi-Sensei." Sasuke 'hn'ed and Shikamaru sighed. Naruto tugged Shikamaru after him, not caring if Sasuke followed or not at the moment. Naruto peered down the hallways as he passed them, not finding their sensei. Just when he was beginning to give up, Shikamaru tugged on his hand. Naruto looked over his shoulder at Shikamaru who silently pointed down the hallway to their left. Naruto stood there for a moment, staring blankly at their sensei who stood at the end of the hall. "Well," Naruto said, his tone monotonous. He withdrew his hand from Shikamaru and shoved his hands back into his pockets, leading his two dark haired teammates down the hall to Kakashi.

"Team Seven!" Kakashi said, his tone light. "Welcome to the Chuunin exams." With a flourish, the Jounin stepped aside and motioned to the door he had been in front of. "Have fun and please," Kakashi stressed the word, resting his eye on Naruto, "don't kill anyone." Naruto raised his eye brows and said nothing, instead opting for opening the door. He held it open for Shikamaru and Sasuke and glanced once more at Kakashi before going into the room. The door fell shut behind him, drawing the room's attention to them. Naruto tucked his mouth behind his headband and he kept his gaze on Shikamaru's legs as they walked into the room.

"Sasuke-Kun!" a shrill voice shouted. Oh how Naruto had not missed the voice of Yamanaka Ino. "Sasuke-Kun, I've been waiting for you! How are you? Have your teammates been good for you?" Naruto looked up, glaring at his fellow blond. "I know you got placed with Nara who can be such a lazy ass and…" She lowered her voice as if Naruto wouldn't hear, "You got put with the _freak_."

"Ino," Sasuke said, looking down at the blond who smiled up at him. "Shut up." Her jaw dropped at his words and Sasuke turned away from her. His eyes briefly met Naruto's and Naruto had to wonder what went through Sasuke's head for him to say that. Their eye contact was only for a few moments and Sasuke looked away, glaring at everyone who was looking at them.

The room fell quiet and Naruto took the time to take in the other people that he didn't know. He recognized a few of the headbands some of the other Genin wore but there were also a handful he couldn't name. Naruto furrowed his brows as he tried to recall a particularly strange looking headband marking (there were five circles, four at each direction while a larger one sat in the middle). Did they even learn that? No, he decided. They learned about the five major Shinobi nations and none of them had five circles as their symbol. Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance and looked back at the small group of Genin that he actually knew. Ino was busy sulking in a corner like Sasuke would go over and apologize.

Kiba, Nodoka, Chouji, and Ryuuga were all talking off to the side and when Naruto looked over, Nodoka waved to him. Naruto lifted his hand in a half-hearted wave back and he dropped his arm to his side rather quickly. For a few blissful minutes, it was quiet. And then the other banshee appeared. Naruto wondered where she had been but he didn't get a chance to ask because Sakura was suddenly wrapped around Sasuke, shrieking happily about him being there. And that, of course, prompted Ino to jump at her and they began squabbling over Sasuke rather loudly.

Naruto pressed his index and middle fingers against either of his temples and he slowly rubbed them, hoping to rub away the headache he could feel coming on. His gut was also clenching tightly and he had to bite back the urge to tell the girls to shut the hell up. He didn't seem to be the only one irritated, though. There were a bunch of grumbles around the room and Naruto heard a few people mutter 'shut up' under their breaths.

"Yo," someone called over the girls' squabbling. "You need to shut up, okay?" When neither girl stopped, the voice rose. "Shut up!" he snapped. Naruto continued to rub his temples even when his ex-classmates stopped squabbling. Something would cause him another headache, he was sure. "You guys are new, aren't you?" the voice said. Naruto looked up from the floor, his gaze falling on a person wearing a Konoha headband. He certainly didn't recognize the boy but he _was_ wearing a Konoha headband. _He shouldn't be here_, Naruto thought, surprising himself with the thought. "It's my seventh year here in the exams and I've learned that you're gonna die quicker if you draw attention to yourself." Naruto arched his brows and looked at Shikamaru who shook his head at the blond. Yeah, that guy definitely didn't belong?

"Seven years?" Sakura voiced, pulling herself away from Sasuke. "Is that even legal?" Naruto snorted at the question.

"It's… not recommended," the boy admitted. "But yes, it's legal. Look, all I'm trying to say is that you need to calm down. These guys," he motioned with his arm to the crowd of Genin, "don't exactly have morals. I'm sure that at least half of them would kill you with no mercy if given the chance." Naruto surveyed their opponents and found himself agreeing with the guy. Most of them looked murderous. If Gaara was hiding in that crowd, he would probably have no problems killing Sakura and Ino.

"If they don't have any morals or mercy," Sakura whispered, "then how are any of us," she motioned at the Konoha Genin, "going to survive against them?" Naruto, honestly, could think of plenty of ways to survive against and kill their competition but he wasn't about to say that out loud. No, he was more interested in what the guy who didn't belong had to say.

"I'm Kabuto," the guy said, "and… I guess I can give you some help. I've picked up some knowledge in my years in the Chuunin exams."

"What, like, answers?" Ino asked him, her voice hopeful.

"No, not answers," Kabuto replied, sighing, "more like… Information." Naruto watched Kabuto's gaze flicker over to Sasuke. "Name someone. Anyone who you know is going to be in the exams. I can tell you about them."

"How is that legal?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto tucked his mouth behind his chin, peering at the floor blankly. He was still intrigued by the situation as a whole but he didn't want to be directly involved. It was his gut feeling and, although it was severely acting up, Naruto was inclined to go with it. "It really can't be legal. Or accurate. I've never met any of these foreigners before this past week. How can you have information on any of them?"

Kabuto laughed and the sound made Naruto's skin crawl. He took a step closer to Shikamaru and he reached out, taking his teammate's hand in his. Shikamaru squeezed his hand and Naruto squeezed back as Kabuto got his laugh under control.

"Like I said, I've picked up some knowledge."

"_Illegal_ knowledge," Shikamaru hissed under his breath, saying nothing further.

Kabuto waited a few moments before he spoke. "So," he said casually, "is there anyone you want to know about?"

"Sabaku no Gaara," Sasuke spoke quietly. Naruto looked up, shooting his teammate a look. Sasuke merely shrugged and tipped his head toward the crowd of foreign Genin. Naruto frowned and looked at Kabuto, watching as the silver haired guy pulled a deck of cards from his weapons pouch.

"What are those?" Sakura asked.

Kabuto smirked up at her. "These are my ninja info cards. They may not look like much yet, but just wait. They're chakra encoded, so when I put my chakra into a card…" He paused and placed a blank card face up on the top of the pile. He then placed his index finger in the middle of the card and it pulsed blue before words began to form on the card. "It reveals the information I want. Now let's see." He picked up the card and scanned it. "This isn't the one you requested, but I will read it anyway. It can't hurt." Naruto pressed himself against Shikamaru and looked back down, hiding his mouth behind his headband and his eyes behind his hair. "Uchiha Itachi." Naruto was sure his grip on Shikamaru's hand was painful. Where did Kabuto get off saying something like that out of the blue? "Heh. Maybe I shouldn't. Someone," Naruto looked up sharply, meeting Kabuto's smug gaze, "seems to be a bit sensitive."

"Naruto," Shikamaru hissed. Naruto looked at him and looked passed him at Sasuke who, while tense, didn't seem to show any other reaction. Until he met Naruto's gaze. When their eyes met, Naruto saw how much hearing Itachi's name affected Sasuke. It hurt him and made him angry and… There was so much swirling around in the last Uchiha's eyes and it suddenly closed off and Naruto could only wonder what was on his face. "Naruto!" Shikamaru's voice was firmer this time. Naruto looked back to Shikamaru and frowned when their hands were parted. He flexed out his fingers after , though, not realizing how hard he was gripping his teammate's hand.

"Sorry," Naruto muttered. Shikamaru shrugged.

"Sorry about that," Kabuto said genially. Naruto glared up at him, resisting a scathing remark. He watched as Kabuto put some more chakra into the card and it went blank. He shuffled it into the deck and went through the cards for a few quiet moments before he pulled one out. He set it on top of the deck and pushed some chakra into it as well. "Here's the one we want! Sabaku no Gaara. He has done three B rank missions and nine A rank missions. He has never been harmed on a mission, making his defense his best skill." He stared at the card for a moment and nodded, pushing some chakra into it. It went blank. When the card was shuffled into the deck, Kabuto looked up at the Genin in front of him. "Is there anyone else? Oh, I know, what about some of the Oto nin? I hear that they are a force to be reckoned with. It would be good to be prepared!"

Naruto looked at Kabuto for a moment, trying to gage if he was serious. He seemed to be completely serious. Naruto frowned and looked around the classroom, seeking out the Oto nin being talked about. He didn't see them. What the hell? Naruto looked back to Kabuto and repressed a smirk as a short nin Naruto hadn't seen move tried to punch Kabuto. The Konoha nin dodge and the short ninja scoffed, turning away. He walked back into the crowd and that was when Kabuto fell to his knees. He hunched over and started gagging. Naruto looked away, not wanting to see the inevitable. He heard it, though, and cringed at the sound of the idiotic ninja throwing up.

"Learn something," Naruto heard. He looked over, blinking at the ninja that had tried to punch Kabuto. "Keep your mouth shut, Konoha ninja. You shouldn't go flaunting things people don't want you to know." Naruto narrowed his eyes when the ninja made eye contact with him before he continued on his way, probably to his team.

Before anyone could respond or take action to help Kabuto, there was a loud sound that made Naruto jump. Smoke rolled through the room and, when it cleared, a pair of Chuunin stood around Kabuto and a tall, imposing man in all black stood at the head of the room.

"Okay maggots," the man at the front of the room boomed. His voice caused Naruto's ears to ring slightly. "Come up here and draw a number," he motioned to a box on the desk beside him that most certainly hadn't been there before, "and find your seat! Hurry up. We don't have all day."

Naruto grumbled and followed the rest of the Genin to the front of the room, not liking the feeling of being a lemming. He grit his teeth and snatched a number from the box, glaring at the man who only smirked. It was going to be a very long day.


	24. To Cheat or Not to Cheat?

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** There's not a lot of dialogue in this chapter. But Hinata gets a little scene. Um… Yeah, that's really it. It's kind of wordy, but I didn't know how else to do it. I tried to write it from inside of Naruto's head without it being first person. Also, I was thinking about making a tumblr for this story. I would post previews, notices, and anything else pertaining to the story. Fans would also be able to submit art or ideas. Thoughts on this? Enjoy the chapter.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

Naruto glanced around the room as the mob of Genin attempted to get situated. He had managed to find his seat easily since he knew the academy seating system. The other Genin that had been in his graduating class were also seated. Everyone else, though, seemed to be having a hectic time figuring out where their drawn seats were. Naruto sat at the end of a row with Hyuuga Hinata at his right, a smirking Chuunin at his left in a fold out chair.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto slumped over onto the desk in front of him, muttering in annoyance at the noise around him. It couldn't be that hard to figure out the seating arrangement. Each row was a letter and each column of seats was a number. He was sitting in D1 and Hinata was in D2. It wasn't that hard. It shouldn't have been that hard. He wasn't the only one who thought so, though, if the smirking Chuunin was anything to go by.

The Genin took quite a few minutes to settle down. In those few minutes, Naruto had convinced himself that it would have been easier to talk his teammates into taking the winter exams. With a sigh, the blond pushed himself into a sitting position to survey the room. There were only a few stragglers who seemed reluctant to sit away from their teammates. What Naruto wouldn't give to tell them to just sit the hell down. The kids standing lingered for a few moments before finding their way to their seats. One of them plopped down in C1 and Naruto resisted the urge to kick the boy.

Once everyone was settled, the man that had told them to take their seats spoke. "Good morning," he said, his voice loud. Naruto cringed at the man's volume; didn't he realize they were in a classroom? He could tone it down a little. "My name is Morino Ibiki and I will be your proctor for these exams." The Jounin sneered and looked around the classroom. Naruto cocked his head to the side and glared when Ibiki looked at him. The older man raised a brow at Naruto and looked away, surveying the rest of the class. "Your test is going to be a simple written exam. I will pass out the papers and pencils and you will be given fifty minutes to answer nine questions. When your fifty minutes are up, you will be given a tenth question. Your answer to that question will determine whether or not your team progresses."

Naruto blinked and glanced around, easily locating Sasuke and Shikamaru. Sasuke was on the other side of the room in seat B11 with Shikamaru seated behind him in C11. Why was he the only Team Seven team member on the left side of the room? Shaking off his annoyance, Naruto looked back at Ibiki.

"As you can see, there are Chuunin stationed around the room with clipboards. Why?" He let out a harsh chuckle and Naruto twitched. "Because they are scoring you. You will each start with ten points. If you are caught cheating, the Chuunin will mark two points off. You will have five chances. If you are caught cheating five times, you and your team will be disqualified from the exams." Ibiki smirked and glanced at the back of the room. "When you get your test and your pencil, you may begin. And remember, don't get caught cheating."

The room was silent as Ibiki proceeded to pass out the tests. Naruto tracked the Jounin with his eyes and only looked away when Hinata handed him a paper and pencil. He nodded at her and took the proffered objects. He settled his paper on the table in front of him and quickly wrote down his name. He skimmed the paper, counting four questions on the front. He flipped it over and glared at the five questions on the back before flipping it back to the front.

Naruto stared down at the first question with a blank expression. He was supposed to know that? Seriously? A quick glance around the room told him he wasn't the only one stumped. Even Hinata, who Naruto knew could speed through a written test like it was a glass of water, seemed confused. What was Ibiki up to? The blond stared down at his paper, tapping the eraser of his pencil against the side of the page absently. He knew how to calculate someone's momentum but not in the way the paper was asking. What they wanted required more information than was being given. Naruto frowned at the page and flipped his pencil around, quickly scribbling '_not enough information_' beneath the question. The second question was a lot tougher. Naruto set his pencil down and rubbed his temples with his index and middle fingers.

He could _not_ be expected to know the material on the test. He didn't know it. Who _would_ know it? Naruto frowned and looked up, dropping his hands to the table. He looked around the room, careful to make sure he wasn't looking at anyone's paper. Until he figured out what they wanted, he couldn't be marked for cheating. Across the room, Sasuke was staring down at his paper. His pencil lay abandoned off to the side of his left hand and his paper, from what Naruto could make out, was blank. Behind him, Shikamaru wasn't faring well either. He was scribbling on the paper but Naruto knew enough about the Nara to see that he didn't actually know what he was doing. Hinata had attempted to solve the first problem but she had obviously come to the same conclusion as Naruto. Her pencil now hovered over the second problem and her shoulders were tense. She was definitely stressing.

_What the hell_? Naruto asked himself, looking back to his paper. He read the second question twice and sighed, picking up his pencil. What did they want him to do? Ibiki said not to cheat. Naruto watched his hand move, sketching absently in the workspace provided. He continued to sketch random objects as he tried to think. Don't cheat. Right? Wasn't that was Ibiki had said? _If you get caught cheating_, Naruto reminded himself. If. If what? If he got caught cheating. Okay, what was the big deal about that? Naruto jumped at the sound of something snapping and he looked down, staring blankly at his pencil which no longer had a tip.

"Give it here," someone said gruffly. Naruto looked up and held out his pencil to the Chuunin to his left. The man stood up and walked to the desk at the front of the room. He exchanged pencils and brought Naruto two more. Naruto took them without thanks and set one off to the side. He probably would need it.

Don't get caught cheating. Naruto looked down at the third question and read it, drinking in the words. _Don't get caught_. What the hell? With a sigh, Naruto began to write in the workspace for question three. If he couldn't think of the answer, he would give the Jounin and Chuunin something to read. With that thought in his mind, Naruto began writing down the most basic ramen recipe he could think of. His pencil lasted through the entire recipe and Naruto smirked before moving on to question four. He did read it but he expected not to know how to do it. He was correct. The Genin set his pencil down and flexed out his hand before he continued writing down a vegan version of the ramen recipe from problem three.

"C12, you're out," the gruff voice from before stated. "Would you please stand up?" Naruto looked up and stared blankly at the girl next to Shikamaru. She stood and even from where he was, Naruto could see her shaking. "Would C12's teammates please rise?" The boy in front of Naruto stood as well as a boy at the front of the room. "You are disqualified. Please leave." Naruto tracked the team's movements with his eyes until they were out of his line of sight. So along with being disqualified, there was a certain amount of shame with being caught five times. Naruto glanced to his left at the Chuunin who didn't look over at him. "Z20, you're out," the Chuunin spoke, marking something down on his paper. "Stand up."

Naruto bit his lip and looked around, wondering what they had to do to get caught. They were cheating. Wait. Naruto could have smacked his own forehead. The point was to cheat, wasn't it? That's why Ibiki said to not get caught. The next question was how was he going to cheat without getting caught? The room was heavily guarded and they were Genin. Even after the mission in Mizugakure, Naruto didn't have enough experience to get passed a group of Chuunin and a Jounin. Why was this so difficult? Naruto grumbled under his breath and dropped his head down onto the table, closing his eyes. He was missing something.

[ X x X ]

_The wad of ryou in the middle of the alley was hard to miss, even for a seven year old. Naruto knew the value of a wad of ryou. It meant he got to eat and, being that he was seven and lived in the seedy part of Konoha, that was rare. So when he saw the ryou, Naruto did what anyone would have done. He picked it up and shoved it haphazardly in his pocket. That was that, at least that's what he thought. Things were never simple, though. Not when he was born, not when he was seven, and his future was probably going to be ridiculously difficult as well._

"_Hey," he heard. Tensing, Naruto turned around to face the voice, narrowing his eyes at the sight of three older men lumbering toward him. "Hey kid," the one in the middle said._

"_Yes?" Naruto asked cautiously, stuffing his hands in his pockets._

"_Hey we saw you," the guy on the left began, "we saw you pick up that money. What say you…" He trailed off and furrowed his brows before continuing, "What say youse and me play a little game. If you win, you get to double your money. Whassat?" he finished with a crooked smile that revealed some missing teeth. Beside him, the other two men were nodding along._

_Naruto looked between the three of them, weighing his options. On the one hand, double that amount would be great. The flip side was that he could lose and there went his money. Naruto bit his lip, wondering what he should do. The men grinned down at him and Naruto huffed childishly._

"_You know what, fine," he snapped, sitting down. "What are we playing?"_

_The man grinned and pulled out three cups from his bag. Naruto eyed the man's bag suspiciously until the man sat down. He unstacked the three cups and leered down at the blond. "We're gonna play Find the Rock." Naruto scoffed. That game was too easy. The man chuckled and reached into his bag, pulling out a green rock. Naruto arched his brow and watched the man place it under the middle cup. "You ready? Whassat?" The man's grin widened and, as soon as Naruto nodded, his arms were in motion, moving the cups around and around. Naruto frowned and kept an eye on the cup until the man stopped. "Guess which one."_

_Naruto stared at the cups firmly and looked up slowly to meet the man's eye, pointing at the one on the left side. They maintained eye contact for a full thirty seconds and both looked down at the same time. The man's cackling echoed throughout the alley as he lifted the cup, revealing empty space. Naruto muttered under his breath and reached into his pocket to grab the money._

"_No, no," the man said. "What say we play again. If'n you win, you double your money."_

"_Again?" Naruto muttered._

"_No, double what ya got in your pocket," the man amended._

"_So the same rules," Naruto stated before nodding. The man nodded and lifted up the middle up, revealing the green rock. He moved it to the left cup and began moving the cups around._

"_Hey," one of the other guys called. Naruto didn't look away. "Hey is he doing that right?" When the man stopped, Naruto looked over at the other guy._

"_Yeah, why?" the man shrugged and Naruto looked back to the cups, pointing at the left one again. The guy sucked in a breath and cackled when it revealed to be empty. Naruto growled and pulled his money out of his pocket, throwing it at the man before he rushed to his feet. He glared down at the guy. "What the hell you cheating butthead?" Naruto shouted. He ground his teeth together as he watched the man pack up. "What the hell!" he shouted again when the man packed up the cups. The rock wasn't under any of them. The man casually rose to his feet and grinned at Naruto, folding up the ryou the blond had given him._

"_Whassat?" he asked, looking at his bag. "Oh yeah. Here's the rock." He smirked and shook his arm a bit, catching the rock in his palm as it fell from his shirt sleeve. He tossed the rock to Naruto. "Enjoy," he mocked before he turned, walking away with the other two men. Naruto stared at the rock in his hand and growled, throwing it at the alley wall. He followed it as it bounced off the wall and rolled deeper into the alley._

_Naruto walked over to the rock, muttering under his breath as he did so. Still muttering, he picked up the rock only to drop it when he stood up. He pressed his hand to his chest and glared at the taller figure in the alley. The person only chuckled and bent down, picking up the rock._

"_Naruto-Kun," the person said and Naruto perked up._

"_Tsuki!" he said with a smile. "How long have you been here?"_

"_Since you found the ryou," Tsuki murmured, shaking his head when Naruto glared at him. "You fell right into their hands, you know that right?"_

"_What?" Naruto questioned, reaching out to take the rock from the ANBU. Tsuki passed it off to him and moved his hand up to ruffle Naruto's hair. "Thanks. What do you mean? They wanted to bet… How was I supposed to know they would cheat?" He stared at the rock for a few more seconds before looking up at Tsuki, staring at the mask his ANBU wore._

_Tsuki sighed softly and let his hand fall to Naruto's shoulder. "Well, they expected you to lose. Don't you see? They knew you were going to lose because they were cheating. They set you up for failure." Naruto 'hmph'ed and folded his arms across his chest. Tsuki gave Naruto's shoulder a squeeze. "Next time, beat them at their own game. Cheat back. Come now, let's go get some dinner." Naruto sighed and let Tsuki lead him off to his home._

[ X x X ]

That's right. Naruto sighed softly against his paper and sat up slowly. He stretched his arms above his head and glanced around the room. Another team was gone. Had he zoned out that long? What had he even been thinking about? That's right. Itachi. Naruto licked his lips and ducked his head to hide his sudden blush. Though his memory had been nothing blush worthy, the kiss was still on the forefront of Naruto's mind. _Stop_, he scolded himself. He took a deep breath and looked around the class again. He felt a sense of pride in his gut at the sight of both Shikamaru and Sasuke writing quickly.

"D3," Naruto heard. He looked around, raising his brows at the Chuunin behind him. She barely spared him a glance before commencing with the Genin shaming. He got caught too. Naruto glanced at the boy in D3 and blinked.

"_They set you up for failure. Next time, beat them at their own game_."

No way. Naruto looked at the Chuunin to his left and the man looked up, meeting the blond's gaze firmly. Naruto stared back and looked away, seeking out Ibiki. He found the Jounin easily as the man was standing at the front of the room. Getting his attention was the difficult part. How could he get Ibiki's attention? All Naruto needed was confirmation. If Ibiki looked at him with a smug expression, Naruto would know what to do. The blond growled quietly and made a show of leaning over, peering at Hinata's paper, kicking the seat in front of him to make a point. He looked up quickly and met Ibiki's eyes, annoyance coursing through him at the smug look the Jounin's eyes reflected.

They wanted them to fail. Ibiki and the Chuunin were setting up the Genin for failure. Unless they could gather information. Oh that was irritating. Naruto looked away and picked up his pencil. He stared at his paper for a long moment and flipped it over. He scanned over the fifth question and sighed before thrusting his left arm into the air. He sat there for about two minutes before the Chuunin beside him sighed loudly.

"Yes, D1, what is it?" Ignoring the looks the Chuunin's voice earned them, Naruto turned to him and spoke.

"Yes, I was wondering," the blond said, lowering his arm. He motioned the Chuunin closer and slid the test toward the end of the table, "what would be the appropriate way to solve this? Better, what is the answer?" He peered up at the Chuunin who stared at him with a smirk on his face. They looked at each other until someone cleared their throat.

"Is there a problem?" Ibiki's voice asked. Naruto sat up and looked straight at the Jounin, making eye contact.

"Not at all. I was just wondering what the answer to number five was." He forced a smile onto his face before looking back at the Chuunin, dropping the smile. "Any other answers would be helpful too," he added quietly. The Chuunin just looked at him and shook his head, leaning away. Naruto shrugged and adjusted himself in his seat so he could write better and proceeded to doodle in the margins of the paper. There was a soft pause in the atmosphere of the room before the scratching of pencil on paper resumed throughout the classroom. Naruto sighed and continued sketching random shapes on his paper. Beside him, Hinata shifted and he blinked, looking over at her. Her paper was tilted to the side at just the right angle that he could see it and not look like he was cheating. Well, he didn't care if they saw him. That was the point, right? Naruto nudged Hinata's knee under the table and mouthed 'thank you' when she looked up at him. She blinked and went back to her work.

Naruto yawned and stretched before reading the question again. He glanced at Hinata's paper and wrote down the answer she had, jumping when something hit his left shoulder. He quickly finished writing Hinata's answers and he looked over at the Chuunin, following his gaze to the floor. Naruto stretched out again, knocking his spare pencil to the floor. He leaned down and picked it up as well as the paper that the Chuunin was looking at. Naruto set the paper on his lap and the pencil on the desk.

A casual glance around the room showed Naruto that all but the Chuunin beside him were distracted. He dropped his hands to his lap and quickly unfolded the paper, blinking at the answers to five through nine. He nudged Hinata's knee with his and met her gaze before looking down at his lap. They met gazes and she looked back to her paper. Naruto looked as well. She was working through number six. Good. Naruto slid the paper between them and casually jotted down the answers. When Hinata was done, she reached over and crumpled up the paper. Naruto watched in amusement as she glanced around the room and shoved the paper in her mouth.

"You have five minutes left," Ibiki spoke. Naruto glanced up at him and flipped his paper so only questions one through four were visible. He leaned back in his seat and tipped his head back, closing his eyes. He stayed in that position until Ibiki called time. He shifted in his seat and ducked his mouth behind his headband, peering through his eyelashes at Ibiki, towering over the Genin at the front of the classroom.


	25. Question Number 10

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** A little wordy. Ibiki talks a lot. So Ibiki's speech in the manga I thought was complete BS so I rewrote it to fit the story instead of keeping to canon. And the exams don't follow the exact timeline that they do in canon. Sorry if that bothers any of you. I'm also still considering making a tumblr or something of the like for this story. Let me know what you think. Enjoy the chapter!

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

"Time." Ibiki's strong and somewhat loud voice echoed throughout the classroom. There were a few seconds of pencil on paper and it stopped. The room fell quiet, the Genin shirking away under Ibiki's stare. The air was tense until Ibiki turned away and addressed the Chuunin at the left side of the room. "Collect the exams." To the other wall of Chuunin, he repeated the order and crossed his arms across his chest to wait until the Chuunin were finished.

Naruto sighed and held his paper out to the Chuunin who had snuck him answers. The Chuunin grunted and glanced down at the front of the test. And he laughed. It was a brief sound but Naruto was definitely sure the man had laughed. Naruto shot the man a glare but he was gone by then. Grumbling under his breath, Naruto sunk down in his seat so he was eye level with the desk he sat at. Beside him, Hinata giggled and he looked up at her as she ruffled his hair. She blushed when they met eyes and looked away quickly.

"Ah, it's fine Hinata-San," Naruto mumbled quietly, looking away when the Hyuuga heir looked back at him. It didn't bother him that she'd done it but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by staring. Naruto stared absently at the empty chair by his seat until Ibiki spoke once again. His voice was commanding and Naruto couldn't help but sit up straight as the man spoke.

Ibiki shuffled through the exams for a moment before speaking. "Well done," the Jounin said, his tone condescending. "You have successfully completed the first nine questions. Would any of you like a sticker?" Naruto scowled at the man and ducked his mouth behind his headband, staring down at his empty desk. "No one?" He paused for a moment. "Good. We're not in school anymore. Don't expect to be treated like children now. So, now that you've finished your first question, it is time for the tenth and final question of the first set of Chuunin exams. Don't expect this question to be simple. And trust me," Naruto looked up at Ibiki, blinking when the man met his gaze, "you can't ask for help on this question." There was a smattering of laughter across the room that ceased when Ibiki growled in his throat. "Before I present you with this question, you need to be prepared. And trust me when I say that in the real world, you would never get a warning such as this."

Wow, their proctor sure knew how to be dramatic. Naruto shook his head and slouched over his table, closing his eyes. Ibiki just needed to get on with it. If they failed, they failed. The winter exams were an option and, if that failed, the exams in Kumo the next year were also an option. Why was Ibiki even waiting? He should have just asked the tenth question and left the Genin to wallow in their failure.

"Pay attention," Ibiki snapped. Naruto folded his arms under his head as a pillow and yawned against his arm. "If you fail to hear these words, the fate of your team rests on your shoulders." Naruto rubbed his eyes childishly and shifted his arms a bit to make a point. He was comfortable and Ibiki could screw off. "You need to decide whether or not you will answer this question. It may seem simple but I can assure you that it is not. These are the rules: you may opt out of answering the question. That's it. You're done. Nothing will happen to you. The catch?" Naruto looked at Hinata beside him. She was staring intently at Ibiki as if his words were her life. What must Ibiki's face look like to get that reaction from Hinata? "If you drop out, you are taking your entire team down with you."

"What?!" Naruto jumped at the shout and sat up, turning around to glare at the kid behind him. The boy was standing up and he looked really upset. "Are you serious? That's bullshit!"

"Is it?" Ibiki asked. Naruto jerked his head around and stared at the Jounin at the front of the room. He was smirking and his eyes glittered darkly. He was intimidating. An involuntary shiver ran through Naruto and he hugged himself tightly. "I think it's fair. How can your team proceed to the next stage? Were you not supposed to register as a team?" He chuckled. "It would make no sense, then, to allow a two-man squad to proceed when the intent was a three-man squad." Naruto listened as the boy behind him plopped down roughly into his seat. "That is your first option. Your second option is to stay and answer the question." Naruto snorted and shook his head; if the catch for dropping out was dragging down your team, then the catch for answering the question was bound to be a lot worse. Man, Naruto could imagine all the complaining that was likely to come of the catch. That would be ridiculous. "If you stay, and you answer the question correctly, you and your team will move on to the next phase of the exams. If you stay, and you answer the question incorrectly, you and your team will be disqualified from the exams and you will never be able to take the Chuunin exams again for the rest of your lives."

Silence met Ibiki's statement. Naruto was right; it was a lot worse than dragging down your team with you. The room's quiet didn't last long, not that Naruto had expected it to. It would have been nice, though, if people could keep their mouths shut for more than a few seconds.

"What the hell?" Naruto looked around, easily locating Kiba. The brunette looked plenty annoyed and his dog even seemed disgruntled. Maybe he was picking up on his master's feelings. "How is that even right?" Naruto tilted his head to the side, staring thoughtfully at the back of Kiba's head. Ibiki's method wasn't exactly fair but the blond could see the merits in it. Those who were too scared would back out and risk being the target of their team's anger. Those who were too cocky would ruin the exams for their teams forever. And then the rest of the Genin would go through by sheer luck, most likely.

"How can that have been approved?" someone else chimed in. Naruto raised his brows and shared a look with Hinata. She shrugged and pointed at the guy in the row in front of her. Naruto nodded. "There are people here who have taken the exams multiple times and only fail because they're not ready. How can you make their risk taking this time around a bad thing?"

Ibiki snorted. "'Risk taking'? Don't fool yourself. If you call trying to answer a question 'risk taking', you don't truly know what it's like to be a ninja."

"Wh- I… How dare you!" the man shouted, jumping to his feet. "You are disrespectful! How did you make Jounin?"

"Shut _up_," someone else chimed in. Naruto had to crane his neck to see the speaker; it was the girl from Suna that he and his friends had encountered the week before. Temari, wasn't it? Naruto sighed. He couldn't be expected to remember every person he met. But it probably was Temari. "He's a Jounin. What does it matter if he's rude? You're a Genin. He's a Jounin. Do they not teach common sense in Konoha?"

"Wow," someone drawled. Naruto didn't recognize the voice. "You're a bitch."

"_Enough_," Ibiki snapped. Naruto flinched at the level of the Jounin's voice and hugged himself again. He ducked his mouth behind his headband and set his gaze on the desk, listening as the Genin got settled again. "Your opinions don't really matter here," he said, his voice almost pleasant. That alone made Naruto wary. Ibiki didn't look like he was made to be pleasant. "Keep your childish notions to yourself. I am the proctor of this test; I make the rules. What proctors have done before me doesn't matter in the slightest. Now, back to the matter at hand: will you or will you not answer the last question? If you want to back out, do so now."

Naruto wasn't surprised when the boy who had been the first to object to the rules stood up and apologized to his team. He slid out of his row and hung his head as he left the room. After that, hands seemed to raise at an alarming rate. Naruto watched team after team get up. Some teammates would shoot the teammate who chickened out nasty looks while other teams would exchange grateful looks.

"Geez," Naruto grumbled. "People could do to man up more." Beside him, Hinata shrugged. Naruto shook his head and continued to mumble under his breath as Genin continued to raise their hands. "Seriously?" The blond rolled his eyes and looked away from the room and to the window. He was surprised to hear Ibiki's gruff voice call out his seat number.

"D1. Would you care to share what you're mumbling about with the class?"

Naruto looked over and stared at the Jounin. "You said to keep our opinions to ourselves," he stated monotonously. At Ibiki's look, he sighed. "I _said_," he glared at Ibiki, "that all of these Genin need to stop being such babies. Honestly. Is being a ninja about backing down from a challenge? If it is, I picked the wrong thing to do with my life. Being a ninja is about putting your life, or your career, on the line to get the job done. You guys need to stop being children and prove that you're really ninja. Or get the fuck out of my village." He looked away from Ibiki and levelly met Sasuke's gaze across the room. The Uchiha smirked at him and nodded once before turning away to face the front of the room. Naruto looked behind Sasuke at Shikamaru. The brunette was smiling and Naruto got the impression that Shikamaru was proud of him. Naruto looked away and hid a smile behind his headband. It was a nice feeling, making his team proud.

The classroom fell quiet once again. Unlike the previous times, there wasn't an air of fear or worry. In fact, Naruto would go so far as to say that the room felt stronger than it had. Were his words that powerful? Maybe, maybe not. All he knew was if someone told him that he was being a child and not fulfilling the title of ninja, he would shape up. He was a ninja and ninja were proud of their status. Ninja were strong and willing to put their careers or their lives on the line. True ninja did not back down from a challenge, no matter how petty.

His words truly had been powerful. No more hands went up and the Genin Naruto could see were sitting up straighter than before. That was good. Naruto didn't want to face weak opponents.

"Heh, if that's all…" Naruto looked to the front of the room, wondering what Ibiki was going to spring on them next. And, in all honestly, he hadn't been prepared. "You all pass." Naruto wasn't the only Genin whose jaw dropped. There were shouts across the room, ranging from unintelligible mumbo jumbo to vulgar exclamations. Hinata had covered her ears as soon as the swearing began and Naruto was just sitting there, partly in shock and partly in amusement. He was shocked that that was it and he was amused at the reactions of his fellow Genin. Another part of him felt that he should have seen it coming. Honestly, Ibiki had been pulling out a lot of crap so saying that they passed should have come as no surprised.

Naruto shook his head as the Genin around him continued to complain. Once the initial shock was over, their complaining was irritating. Naruto ground his teeth together as teammates complained to each other and complained about Ibiki and complained about everything. This was what Ibiki had been referring to when he told them to keep their childish notions to themselves. Perhaps they needed a friendly reminder.

"That's it?" Naruto groaned and dropped his head to the desk. He recognized Sakura's voice anywhere, simply because it was so shrill.

"That's it," Ibiki replied.

"Then what was the whole point of the nine questions?" his old classmate demanded. "Were they there to just stress us out? I mean seriously!"

"No," Ibiki spoke. "Everyone, shut the hell up." While Naruto might have handled the situation more elegantly, Ibiki's method worked too. "The written exam was meant to test your ability to gather information. Some of you figured out that the point was to cheat." Naruto nodded, scraping his forehead lightly against the desk as he did so. "Some of you realized it sooner than others. Some of you didn't realize it at all." Naruto wondered who didn't pick up on the point of the test at all. After a bit of thinking, it was obvious that they were supposed to cheat. "It was designed to test how well you worked under pressure as well. If you were able to catch on and cheat in a discreet way or if you were not able to cheat in a discreet way. The definition of discreet may vary, depending on the mission. But it was simply a recon mission designed for children.

"The reason I chose this method is simple. So keep your mouths shut. No whining. Let me explain. You may be put in a situation where recon is life or death. The pressure will be worse than this, I can assure you. So if you're unable to be discreet, to be stealthy, you will die. In this case, your team was kicked out during the writing. Being a ninja isn't supposed to be fun. You are a ninja of your village and your purpose is to your village. That's it. Your life ends up being forfeit to your village. You make that decision."

Naruto coughed onto the desk and sat up. He cleared his throat before speaking. "What was the point of the ultimatum for the tenth question?" he asked. He stared at Ibiki until the man sighed.

"My first mission as a Jounin," he said, "I was captured by the enemy." He looked away from Naruto and looked around the classroom before slowly removing his bandana. Naruto bit his tongue and stared at the Jounin's head. There were screw holes, burns, scars, and Naruto even spotted a few places where it looked like skin had been carved out in chunks. "This was the result of my first torture and interrogation. The enemy tortured me, demanding that I reveal my team's hiding place. In return, I would be spared my life." He carefully slid his bandana back on. "I kept my mouth shut. This," he tapped the top of his head, "was what I got in return. My team rescued me and we completed the mission." Naruto arched a brow and leaned forward. His eyes were focused on Ibiki only; he had asked the question, so it was only polite that he listen. "Your ultimatum was that choice. Stay. Keep your mouth shut and stay loyal to your team. Or you could open your mouth and betray your team. I have found that the strong bonds you have are the ones you will be loyal to. So if your strongest bond is to yourself, you will open your mouth and betray your team. But if your bonds with your teammates is stronger than that, you will keep your mouth shut and be loyal to your team."

If Naruto's words had been powerful, then Ibiki's words were destructive. Naruto's breath caught as Ibiki explained what he meant by those ultimatums. He could have sworn that his heartbeat even slowed until it was barely thudding. Ibiki had held out for his team. His strongest bonds were where he was loyal to. What, then, did that say about Naruto? His strongest bond was not with Sasuke, nor Shikamaru. It wasn't with Kakashi or the Hokage or Nodoka. No. The bond that Naruto had fostered and paid the most heed to was the bond he shared with his ANBU. His ex-ANBU. Uchiha Itachi. So what, then, did Ibiki's words mean for Naruto? Stay loyal to his team? But that would be betraying his Itachi. Naruto dropped his head and covered his eyes with his hands. No. He couldn't make that choice. Not yet.

Luckily, his thoughts were distracted by a loud crash. He jerked his head up, his brows raised. Ibiki was no longer visible. There was a large sheet across the length of the room pinned to the ceiling by kunai and there was a scantily dressed woman standing at the head of the room. Naruto stared at her blankly while, around him, Genin whispered back and forth.

"My name is Mitarashi Anko!" she shouted. Her voice was louder than Ibiki's. "I will be the proctor of the second phase of the Chuunin exams! That phase will begin twenty-four hours from now! We will meet at training ground forty-four! I suggest you go home now and get well rested because I can guarantee that you will need it!" Naruto stared at her. Was that it? They could go? Just like that? "Well? Get going you maggots! I don't want to see any of your ugly faces until tomorrow!" Just like that, then. Naruto grumbled and got to his feet, making his way to the door his team had come in through. He only had to wait about five minutes for Shikamaru and Sasuke to arrive.

Team Seven stood in silence for a few seconds. "Well," Shikamaru said, breaking the silence, "let's go to Maki's. To celebrate. We made it through one phase of the exams." Naruto nodded his agreement and Sasuke grunted. Team Seven set off in content quiet to spend a peaceful afternoon at Maki's with each other. Naruto got the feeling that they would need this relaxation because the next phase was going to be bad.


	26. What We Love

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** So this chapter is pretty long. I crammed a whole lot of stuff in it and shortened out some bits so the Forest of Death wouldn't be too long. This chapter really sets the pace for the rest of the story. So be prepared to hate me… I think. Also, I've made a tumblr for this story. The link is double(-)edged(-)sword(-) des. tumblr .com –just remove the parenthesis and spaces. It's basically going to be used to communicate with fans better. No side chapter. Alright, enjoy the chapter and please don't hate me! And, as always, let me know what you think.

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

It turned out that training ground forty-four wasn't necessarily a training ground. It was a fenced forest and was dubbed the Forest of Death. While surprised, Naruto didn't let it show on his face, much like his two teammates. Most of the Genin there for the exam, though, seemed to have no problem with expressing their fear of the forest. Naruto shared a look with his teammates and they found a spot to wait where the Genin were quiet or chattering about menial things like what they ate. It was better than being in the midst of whining Genin.

It was almost noon and their proctor was standing in front of a gate that led to the forest, surveying the Genin. At noon, the exams would begin. At least Naruto hoped so. Anko had said twenty0foour hours from the first exam. She couldn't have meant exactly twenty-four hours though. Well, she shouldn't have. That would be ridiculous. Naruto grumbled under his breath and shoved his hands into his pants pockets, shaking his head when Shikamaru looked at him questioningly. Team Seven waited in quiet.

At exactly noon, their proctor spoke. Her voice carried and all the complaining Genin shut their mouths. "Good morning! I hope you're all well rested and prepared, because I can assure you that these exams will not be so easy."

"Um," someone spoke. Naruto looked around, his gaze falling on Nodoka. The blond girl looked like she was stressing. "I-is the test going to be in that forest?" Naruto stared at his friend for a moment before looking back to their proctor.

Mitarashi Anko laughed, bringing her hand up to wipe a tear from her eyes. Naruto cocked a brow. "Yes," Anko finally said. "Don't tell me you're scared?" She didn't give Nodoka time to answer before she spoke again. "As the lady brought up, the second phase of the Chuunin exams will take place behind me –inside the Forest of Death!"

"Okay, yeah, but," someone else chimed. Naruto didn't recognize the speaker or his headband. "We're Genin and that's not a Genin place. Am I right?"

Anko rolled her eyes. "Are all the Genin this year soft?" she sighed a loud, drawn out sigh and continued. "We will be testing in the forest. No complaining, you ugly maggots. Hokage-Sama has already approved the test so unless you want to pick a fight with him, you will shut the hell up." When no one argued with her, Anko grinned and reached into her jacket. She pulled out a stack papers and grinned brightly. "So before the exam officially starts, I'm going to need you all to sign these agreement forms."

Naruto sighed. "Agreement forms?" he asked. "What for?"

Anko turned her bright grin on him and he looked away from her. "Some of you will die and, if you don't sign these, it will be my fault." Naruto rolled his eyes and tucked his mouth behind his headband. He got the feeling that she wasn't going to give them the option. If they died and she got blamed, she would probably bring them back just to kill them again. That honestly wouldn't surprise him. "Ahem." Naruto peered at the woman through his lashes. "When I'm done explaining the exam to you, you will sign the forms. Then you'll check in at the table," Anko motioned with her free hand at the table to her left. She looked over the Genin again and scoffed, looking down at the forms in her hands. "This is a survival test. Your team will be assigned a gate and you will, at the bell, be released into the forest." She handed the forms off to one of the Genin on her right and the forms proceeded around the group of Genin. "In the middle of the forest is a tower. Your goal is to convene there with two scrolls before the allotted time period has ended."

"Scrolls?" Sakura's voice chimed. "What scrolls? And how long will we be in there?"

"Yes, scrolls," Anko said cheerfully, reaching into her jacket once more. She pulled out two scrolls. The scroll on the left was white and bore the kanji for heaven on it. The scroll on the right was a dark blue with the kanji for earth on it. "You will be fighting other teams for these scrolls. There will be no rules, hence the agreement forms. There are sixty-six of you maggots and twenty-two teams. Eleven teams will get a heaven scroll and eleven teams will be given an earth scroll. The scroll division will be at random."

"So," Shikamaru muttered. Naruto looked at his teammate curiously. "Half of us, at least, will fail. How much time are we given to fail?" Naruto snorted and bumped Shikamaru's shoulder with his own.

"We won't fail," the blond whispered. "Believe it." Shikamaru smiled and nudged his shoulder back, both of them turning to face Anko.

"You will be given exactly 120 hours. Five days from now, all the winning teams will be in the tower. Also, one other thing." Naruto raised his eye brows and, behind him, Sasuke scoffed. "Do not open the scrolls until you reach the tower. I can promise you nothing good will happen if you open them before that. Good luck, everyone." Naruto tugged his hands out of his pockets and he reached out, accepting the last three agreement forms from a Suna nin he didn't know. He handed the other two to his teammates and scanned over the agreement form. It seemed straightforward enough. Naruto looked up at his teammates and waited until they had read the form. Once they were all in agreement, Shikamaru spoke.

"Well, let's get this torture over with," the brunette sighed. Naruto rolled his eyes and Sasuke grunted. The trio made their way quickly to the table, not surprised to find that they were the first team. Naruto stepped up to the table first and signed the form with a flourish, sliding it to one of the men. Sasuke stepped up next to him and did the same thing. Shikamaru finished up and slid his paper to one of the men as well. "So, who gets the scroll?" he asked.

Before Naruto or Sasuke could answer, one of the men at the table said, "Please close the curtain. We do not want any unfair advantage by the teams seeing your scroll holder." Shikamaru grumbled under his breath and turned around to untie the curtain that was pinned to the right side of the table. It fell closed quietly and Shikamaru turned back to the table. "You will be given the heaven scroll." The man reached under the table and pulled out a heaven scroll, offering it out to Team Seven. Naruto sighed and reached out, taking it. At Sasuke's glare, Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'll hold it until we get inside the forest. Then we can decide who gets it properly."

"Fine," Sasuke muttered. Naruto nodded and slipped the scroll into his shirt. Once it was secure, Shikamaru pinned the curtain back and the man behind the table spoke.

"Head to gate twelve. A Chuunin will join you shortly."

Shikamaru nodded and stepped out, his two teammates following after him quietly. They walked in a comfortable quiet along the chain-link gate until they reached the gate with a sign numbering it twelve. Shikamaru leaned against the gate as did Sasuke and Naruto plopped down, leaning against it with his knees against his chest. They were quiet for a while as they waited for the exams to start. Their quiet lasted about fifteen minutes while everyone else got set up. A few teams walked passed gate twelve in search for their own gates. It took some time but an amused looking Chuunin joined them shortly, prompting Naruto to stand and the three of them to move away from the gate.

Shikamaru leaned closer to Naruto while the Chuunin fiddled with the lock on the gate. "Will we be okay?" Shikamaru murmured. His voice was quiet enough that the Chuunin wouldn't hear without eavesdropping but it was loud enough that both Naruto and Sasuke could hear.

"Yes," Sasuke answered quickly. Naruto shot him a grateful look; he didn't think he could come up with something reassuring. "We're Team Seven. We will be perfectly fine."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto added, "I don't think anyone will mess with us. Not for real. Just to shake us up. But Shikamaru." Naruto reached out and grabbed Shikamaru's wrist, meeting his eyes. "We'll be fine." Shikamaru stared at him for a moment before looking away to stare at Sasuke. What he saw must have satisfied him because he nodded. Naruto released his wrist and turned to face the Chuunin who was standing with his back to the gate. The chain that had been holding the gate shut lie on the ground at the man's feet.

The Chuunin was quiet as he stared at the Genin. Naruto ducked his mouth behind his headband and stared at the ground was he waited for them to be let in. Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the sky and Sasuke simply stared blankly at the Chuunin. There was a sudden sound, something akin to an explosion, and the Chuunin stepped aside, swinging the gate open.

Naruto moved first, his dark haired teammates not far behind. The blond lost track of how long he ran. All he was aware of was the sound of Shikamaru and Sasuke behind him. Only when Sasuke called out to him did Naruto stop running. He turned around to face his team, being sure to stretch out his senses. They weren't going to die. _He_ wasn't going to die. He couldn't. And he would make sure his team stayed alive.

The three boys of Team Seven stood close together, their voices at a whisper. "Okay, so we need a plan," Shikamaru said. "We need a plan to distract other teams and gather information."

Naruto looked at them for a moment. "I can clone and transform but it will take a lot of chakra out of me."

Sasuke looked at him. "As long as we don't get separated, it won't matter. We'll only need the clones for about a day anyway."

"A day?" Shikamaru questioned. "I would think we'd need at least three days. One set can scout the tower and however many else we need can recon."

Naruto looked between the two brunettes. "I can probably maintain four sets of clones for about two and a half days."

"Even if you're in a fight?" Sasuke questioned.

The blond sighed. "Maybe. I've never had to maintain my clones for very long before." He shrugged awkwardly. "Oh yeah…" He paused and reached down his shirt, shifting around for a moment. When he came out of his shirt, he held their Heaven scroll. "I am probably not the best person to hold onto this." Ignoring the strange look Sasuke gave him, he offered the Uchiha the scroll.

Taking it, Sasuke asked, "Why shouldn't you hold it?" He hesitated for a second before reaching into his weapons pouch on his leg. Sasuke pulled out a string and tied it tightly around the scroll before tucking it on the inside of his pants. He brought the ends out and tied them just as tightly to his belt loop. When he was done, he looked back up at his team blankly. "Well?" he snapped harshly, looking at the blond of the team.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just not. I'm probably the weakest link."

"…How?" Shikamaru asked. "Come on. In Mizugakure, I was the one unable to do anything. You two," he motioned between Sasuke and Naruto, "did most of the work along with sensei. And you," he thumped Naruto on the chest, "almost beat Zabuza. Weakest link how?"

Itachi. That was really the only explanation Naruto could come up with to explain it. There were some ninja who knew too much for their own good and Naruto wouldn't be surprised if some of their fellow competitors knew too much. And if they knew too much, it was likely that they knew Naruto's weakness. And that was really it. His weakness made him weak. He lost his mind. It was actually a little bit pathetic.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned. "Never mind. All I think is that they'll expect Sasuke to have the scroll. Which will make them think either Shikamaru or I have it. It's foolproof."

"Well," Sasuke replied dryly, "_you_ would know all about foolproof, right? Stupid." Naruto scoffed and took a step back.

"Don't be such a bastard," Naruto grunted. "Oh wait."

"Hey," Shikamaru cut in. "Stop. Now is not the time for that."

Naruto rolled his eyes and nudged Sasuke's shoulder with his, meeting the Uchiha's eyes. It worked. Both the apology and the banter. Naruto felt a little lighter about the situation and Sasuke didn't seem inclined to continue the banter. It all worked out. Now came the hard part. Naruto was not ready to test his chakra reserves but he didn't really have a choice. Naruto stretched his arms above his head and rolled his shoulders. If he was going to stress out his chakra reserves, he was probably going to stress out his body and wasn't that just lovely?

Ignoring the presence of his team, Naruto brought his hands together, his index fingers crossing one another to form a plus sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto murmured, closing his eyes. He focused his chakra and almost immediately felt a pull on his stomach which meant that his jutsu had worked. He opened his eyes and peered around him, irked at seeing twelve of him staring back at him.

"This is…" Shikamaru began, walking over to prod one of the clones. It looked at the brunette, irritation on its face. "These aren't normal clones, are they?"

"No," the clone Shikamaru was prodding answered. The real Naruto nodded and closed his eyes once again, bringing his hands together again as well. He quickly went through the hand signs for the transformation jutsu and focused on his chakra. He extended his chakra to nine of his clones and concentrated on his jutsu. When there came a pulling on his stomach, Naruto dropped his hands and opened his eyes, pleased to see four sets of Team Seven around him. The clone Shikamaru had been prodding had transformed into a clone of Sasuke who looked amused with the brunette still poking his shoulder. "We're more solid than a normal clone," the clone went on to explain, stretching his arms.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto, brows raised. "Where did you learn this kind of technique?" Naruto glanced at Shikamaru and then at Sasuke. The Uchiha was staring at a clone of himself, his expression uneasy.

"Hokage-Sama let me in his library a few months ago. I found it during my studies," Naruto stated, rubbing his hands together. He flexed out his fingers and looked at the clones. "Alright. You know what to do." The clones responded their agreement and jumped off, leaving the real Team Seven behind. Naruto looked between his teammates. "Now what?"

Sasuke sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We lose our tail." Naruto glanced around them, peering through the trees. Why was Sasuke able to sense that they had a tail? He couldn't sense anything except for the animals in the area.

"I know," Shikamaru grumbled. "They've been on us since we got in here." And Shikamaru sensed them too. Great. "Naruto?" The blond looked at his teammate. "What's wrong?"

Scowling, the blond said, "I don't sense anyone." He pretended that he didn't see Shikamaru and Sasuke exchanging looks.

"It's not a… friendly aura," Shikamaru spoke, biting his bottom lip. He looked at Sasuke again before continuing. "It's a subtle aura… We're being tailed by some pretty dark people." Naruto frowned and looked around again.

"Well," he muttered. "Whether or not I can sense them doesn't matter. Let's lose them and get our scroll." Sasuke grunted and Shikamaru hummed. Naruto took that as agreement and, without another word, he powered up his feet with chakra and ran at a tree, running straight up it until he reached a branch. Shikamaru and Sasuke were hot on his heels. They exchanged smirks and set off, jumping through the branches of the trees.

Naruto stretched his senses back out again, attempting to sense a dark aura. He could feel someone following them but, to him, the person or people didn't feel dark. They just came off as people. His gut clenched, telling him that he shouldn't have felt that way. Something was off, then. Why couldn't he sense the dark aura that Sasuke and Shikamaru clearly felt? Naruto ground his teeth together and slowed down, letting his teammates take the lead. He kept up with them but stayed behind them. He didn't want to lead when his mind was in such a jumble of words and feelings.

Team Seven kept moving forward for what seemed like hours. The trees were so wide and their canopies so thick that Naruto couldn't see any light. He assumed it was daylight, though, because the forest was still slightly lit. Or perhaps he was wrong, if the scream that pierced the air was anything to go by. Naruto stopped running and, after a few seconds, so did Sasuke and Shikamaru. Another scream echoed through the forest and Naruto strained his ears, hoping to tell if the scream was nearby or not. It was hard to tell. There came a few more brief screams and then they ceased all together. Naruto tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, wondering who had died and who had been the killer.

"What was that about?" Shikamaru asked. Sasuke grunted and Naruto shrugged, his eyes still searching the area. Something felt off. He couldn't pinpoint what, exactly, felt off but something was just wrong. He inhaled sharply and stretched out his hearing, hoping to hear something or someone. And it hit him. There was no sound. The screaming had been the last sound. There weren't even any animals chattering and the wind seemed to have stopped.

"Shit," Naruto hissed. He pushed himself off the branch he was on and moved quickly toward his team. The confused expressions his two teammates wore only helped Naruto speed up. He barely reached his teammates in time. He shoved them off the tree and grit his teeth when he was hit but a gust of wind. The last thing Naruto heard before he was whisked away through the forest was his name being yelled by his teammates.

The gust of wind lasted abnormally long, at least in Naruto's opinion. It finally stopped, slamming him into a tree. He slid down the trunk of the tree and sat at its base for a few seconds to gather himself. His back hurt and his head hurt and he really wouldn't have minded just sitting there. He knew, though, that he shouldn't be sitting there. With that thought in mind, Naruto groaned and carefully pushed himself up. He let out a pained sigh and looked around the forest, confused to find himself in a clearing. He stretched out his senses, searching for his teammates. There were a few people around him, none that he recognized, and neither of his teammates seemed nearby.

Retracting his senses, Naruto put his hands on his tailbone and stretched out his back, wincing as it cracked.

"Well now what?" he asked himself, removing his hands from his butt. Where the hell was he, even? And why him? He didn't have his team's scroll. Or maybe whoever separated them was just trying to get to Sasuke and figured that it was better Shikamaru with Sasuke than Naruto. Shikamaru was calmer than Naruto. He worked better under pressure, at least from what Naruto knew. Naruto reacted badly most of the time. He was never going to figure it out just standing there. Naruto muttered to himself as he walked across the clearing, keeping an eye out for anyone.

He was half way across the clearing before he got the sensation of being watched. Tensing, Naruto looked around. "Who's there?" he called out softly. His eyes flickered around and he slid carefully into his taijutsu stance. His left leg was in front of his body with his right leg behind, most of his weight falling on his front leg. His arms were tucked in to protect his ribs while his hands were ready to hit, both curled into fists. "Hello?" the blond's voice shook in a way he really did not want it to. No one answered, though, so he figured his moment of weakness was okay. His relief was very short lived.

"Hello," a voice said from behind Naruto. Naruto jumped and spun around only to trip and fall backward. He landed with a thump on his butt, his eyes wide as he stared at the person. She was tall, probably a few heads taller than the blond. Her hair was long, and Naruto had to wonder if it ever got in her way during missions. Her smile was pleasant but Naruto honestly didn't feel safe. The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and held out her hand to Naruto. He looked between her hand and her face for a few seconds before taking her hand. She pulled him up swiftly and he yanked his hand away from her, stepping back slowly. "Oh, Naruto-Kun, don't be scared."

Arching his brows, Naruto replied, "I simply don't trust you." The grin that spread across the woman's face made Naruto rethink his words. He barely had time to react and the woman was upon him, a kunai at his throat. She wrapped her free arm around Naruto's waist and leaned in, pressing her lips against his cheek.

"Naruto-Kun, you silly, silly boy. It's things like this that will kill your beloved." She laughed lightly when Naruto tensed in her grip. "You act surprised that I know. But… Why wouldn't I know?"

"Who the _hell_," he spat on her face, "are you?"

She released Naruto from her grip and watched him stumble with a smirk on her face. That smirk unsettled Naruto. Why did she know about his ANBU? Who was she? He ground his teeth together and narrowed his eyes at the woman who only laughed. When she reached up to her face, Naruto thought she was going to wipe his saliva off of her face. He didn't expect her to rip her face off. Her face peeled off like wet clothing, coming off slowly and slickly. Naruto flinched when she threw her face and hair off to the side. Beneath the face was another face.

"What the hell?" Naruto breathed, stepping back again. The man grinned at him. If that wasn't creepy, a man disguised as a woman definitely was. Naruto stared at the man, hoping that it was a man. He very closely resembled the face of the woman he had been wearing except his hair was shorter and darker and he was pale like snow. An involuntary shiver passed through Naruto when he made eye contact with the man.

"You're shaking," the man taunted and Naruto cringed as the man's tongue stretched out, covering the few inches between them. The man's tongue slowly rubbed the blond's cheek. "You know," the man said after retracting his tongue, "you're weak."

"I am _not_ weak!" Naruto shouted. The man looked surprised and Naruto didn't blame him. If the man knew him like he claimed, he would know that Naruto very rarely raised his voice. "I'm not weak," the blond repeated, his voice significantly quieter.

"Oh no?" the man cooed, gracefully moving to the side to avoid the kunai Naruto threw. "Then tell me, why couldn't you sense my presence? Or the Suna nin's presence?"

_Because you're dark_. Naruto flinched at the unbidden thought. What was that supposed to mean? He was dark? How did that make any sense? Unless… He couldn't pick out a dark presence because he was a dark presence. But that wasn't right. Right? Naruto groaned and looked away when the man chuckled.

"You see," he spoke. "You are a weak little boy."

"If I'm weak," Naruto whispered, "then could I do this?" He brought his hands together and crossed his index and middle fingers as a plus sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he hissed, feeling the familiar pull at his stomach. He opened his eyes and sneered at the man who looked around them at the dozen of clones that appeared. With a motion of his head, the clones converged, exchanging blows with the mystery man who seemed to not have a problem with twelve clones attacking him at once. He seemed at ease, actually. He tossed them aside one-by-one until they had all been returned into Naruto's chakra stream. The blond in question stood there with his hands on his head as the feelings assaulted him.

When the clones were gone, the man spoke. "Na-ru-to-kun. Did you think that would accomplish anything? Is that how you're going to kill Sasuke?"

Naruto flinched and set his gaze on the man. "Excuse me?"

The man smiled and pulled out a kunai from his weapons pouch. He twirled it around between his fingers as he spoke. "I know all about Itachi." Naruto tensed, his eyes on the man's kunai. "You're going to get stronger, right? To protect him. And to do that, you have to kill the threat. Uchiha Sasuke. Are you going to drown him in shadow clones?"

"Shut up," Naruto growled.

"Why?" the man purred. "I'm just stating the truth. Sasuke-Kun is going to kill your beloved Itachi-Kun."

"Shut _up_!" Naruto shouted, throwing himself at the man. His fist collided with the man's stomach, causing him to stumble. Naruto growled and punched the man again. The man caught Naruto's fist and twisted his arm before stabbing his shoulder with the kunai he held. He dug it into the blond's shoulder before tearing it out violently. Naruto squeaked and brought up his foot, slamming it into the man's stomach. His hand was released and the man fell back only to launch himself at Naruto, sending them both to the ground. The dark haired man dragged the bloody kunai he held along Naruto's face, licking his lips as he traced the blond's features, leaving behind trails of the Konoha nin's blood.

"Oh you poor, foolish boy," the man cooed, smiling widely as the blond struggled beneath him, hitting his chest. Naruto growled in his throat and continued struggling against the strange man sitting on him. With a cry, Naruto shoved the man off of him and kicked his side onto to have his ankle grabbed and twisted, causing him to fall. Naruto landed roughly on his side and winced as the man pushed him on his back, pinning him to the ground with his knee firmly placed on Naruto's chest. He reached down and slowly wiped the blood off of Naruto's face with his thumb. He slowly wiped the blood off around Naruto's already bleeding shoulder, as if that would help any. "If you don't get stronger, Naruto-Kun, you can't protect Itachi-Kun." He patted Naruto on the head and, as his words sunk in, the blond went limp against the ground.

He was right. If Naruto didn't get stronger, he wouldn't be able to protect Itachi. He wouldn't be able to keep his beloved safe. And if Itachi died, Naruto wouldn't get to hug him or curl up in his arms or kiss him again. Just the thought of Itachi dying caused Naruto's heart to twinge.

"I know," he admitted quietly, not meeting the mystery man's eyes. He focused on the man's mouth instead, hoping he would say something. Instead, Naruto witnessed the man's mouth curl up into an amused smile before he laughed. His laugh was eerie this time. Before, it hadn't been creepy so much as annoying. Now, he sounded very… very snake-like. Naruto shivered at the laugh and looked away, staring at the ground to his left.

The man's laughter slowly died off and he inhaled, his breathing a little raspy. "Tell me," the man said, "how would you like power? What if I told you I could give you the power to save your beloved? Would you take me up on that?" Naruto scoffed; the only way he would get that kind of power would be to get stronger himself. There were no shortcuts, everyone knew that. "Oh, don't be so quick to dismiss it, my little Genin. This power… Is wonderful. If your body reacts positively. Do not struggle."

Naruto whipped his head around, ready to ask the man what he thought he was going to do. Instead, his face was met with the man's pale hand and shoved to the side, leaving his neck bared. The man chuckled and pulled down the shoulder of Naruto's shirt, leaving the skin of his shoulder naked. Naruto let out a muffled yell when the man's teeth sunk into his shoulder. There was a silent pause when the man's teeth sunk into Naruto's shoulder and then he screamed. The man's hand did nothing to muffle Naruto's loud scream. The blond trashed beneath the man attempting to get rid of the pain.

Oh the pain. It burned him. His shoulder burned vehemently. It tingled and burned and ached in a delightfully awful way. The man retracted his teeth and the air on the wound seemed to enhance the burning, hurting feeling Naruto felt in his shoulder. The man laughed heartily, touching the bite marks lightly as, beneath the holes, a mark formed. The mark consisted of three lines. The lines were slightly curved and met in the center around an invisible circle. The mark spun for a moment before finally resting beneath the bite holes on Naruto's neck.

"The Cursed Seal of Earth," the man breathed, running his finger along the mark. A smile formed on his face as Naruto continued to scream, although his screams were quieting as his strength faded from him. "Sh," the man murmured, pulling Naruto's shirt back up over his shoulder. "Let the power of Orochimaru flow through you."

Naruto gasped at the name and let out a high pitched squeak. Orochimaru? He knew that name, but where from? His mind was too foggy for him to really think about it but he knew the name. Orochimaru… The name echoed throughout his mind and his vision started to fade. The last thing he saw was the man, Orochimaru, smiling at him. The last thing he heard was his name being whispered and being told to close his eyes. Without any struggle, the blond obliged and his vision went black.


	27. Heaven and Earth

**Double Edged Sword**

_(The Rewrite)_

**By: **Light And Noise

_(the author formerly known as YoroichiIsSailorL)_

**Warnings:** Yaoi (boy/boy), Dark!Naruto, Mild Language, OCs

**Note:** And the plot thickens! So if you're confused at the end of this chapter, I'll just say: the stronger one will be chosen. That's why Orochimaru did what he did. Um I don't wanna give anything away but if you have any questions about it, message me because I can tell you without spoiling the rest of the fic. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts!

_Updates on Sundays_

_Side Chapters update on Wednesdays_

[X x X]

The sudden force of Naruto's push sent both Shikamaru and Sasuke tumbling off of the tree branch and forcefully onto the ground about ten feet below. Shikamaru landed first and he let out a pained grunt when Sasuke landed on top of him. The Uchiha grumbled something and rolled off of his teammate, lying face first on the forest floor. Shikamaru sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position. He rubbed the back of his head softly as he looked around, searching for their blond teammate.

"Hey," Shikamaru began quietly as his arm fell to his side, "where is Naruto?" At those words, Sasuke rolled over and jumped to his feet. Even from Shikamaru's place, he could tell Sasuke was tense. Did the Uchiha care that much for Naruto? Shikamaru rubbed his nose to hide a smile and he too pushed himself up off the ground, continuing to search the area with his eyes. He didn't see the telltale blond hair that signified Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't even see the orange that Naruto had managed to incorporate into his outfit of the day. "I…" Shikamaru walked a few feet away from Sasuke, peering around the forest. "I don't think he's here."

Sasuke sniffed and said, "Where the hell is he then?" He looked over his shoulder at Shikamaru who shrugged. "Why did he push us away?"

"He looked… Scared," Shikamaru muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But of what?"

"Maybe that gust of wind," Sasuke remarked dryly. Shikamaru shot him a look and stuck his tongue out, earning an eye roll from Sasuke. "Whatever. Let's just go find him." Shikamaru nodded and rejoined Sasuke and they set off, walking slowly through the trees.

The forest around them was quiet. If Shikamaru really tried, he could distantly hear the chattering of a forest animal and even then, it was far away. The only immediate sounds Shikamaru could hear were the sounds of his and Sasuke's walking and breathing. It was unnerving, to say the least. He was tense, his arms tight to his chest as they walked. Beside him, Sasuke seemed at ease but Shikamaru had the feeling he was quite the opposite. He had had years to perfect his façade of being calm, though, so Shikamaru couldn't really blame him for looking at ease.

The quiet persisted, causing Shikamaru's blood to chill. What could cause such a quiet? Who could make the birds and the mammals hide? Were they scared? A chill ran down Shikamaru's side and he decided that yes, the native forest wildlife was scared of something or someone. But what? The brunette didn't get a chance to think on that because a scream pierced the air.

Shikamaru flinched when another scream rang out followed by a few sharp shrieks. He glanced at Sasuke, relieved to see that he wasn't alone in being disturbed. Sasuke muttered under his breath and looked at Shikamaru, shaking his head. It wasn't someone they knew being tortured then.

The screams seemed to have ended the animals' quiet because as soon as the screams died off, the animals came to life, chattering to one another. Shikamaru had thought that maybe the animals would be a good sign. If anything, though, they seemed to make the forest a lot more ominous and unwelcoming. Shikamaru shivered and subtly moved closer to Sasuke who didn't object. They walked on in a tense quiet as birds trilled to one another. There was definitely something off about the forest. It wasn't that it was nicknamed 'the Forest of Death'. Hell, it hadn't seemed to wrong when they walked into the place. It was when they were separated that the feeling of wrongness set in.

"Something happened to Naruto," Shikamaru breathed, glancing around when he heard something rustle. Beside him, Sasuke grunted. Shikamaru glared at his teammate and continued his trek onward, flinching every time something rustled.

"Calm. Down." Sasuke hissed after Shikamaru bumped into him as something rustled. "Look," Sasuke muttered, grabbing his teammate's shoulders. He made Shikamaru face him and stared into the brunette's eyes firmly. "Stop jumping. You are _not_ helping. You need to calm down. Your fear-"

"I'm not scared," Shikamaru protested weakly.

"-can be sensed by animals and probably some Genin," Sasuke continued, glaring at Shikamaru. "Don't interrupt. You need to breathe. We will find Naruto and we will get the hell out of this godforsaken place. Just calm down." Shikamaru sighed softly and nodded, stepping away from Sasuke when he was released. They continued on as if nothing had happened, keeping their pace slow and quiet. They didn't want to risk running past their blond teammate, after all.

The rustling trees and bushes stopped freaking Shikamaru out after a time and he stopped reacting to them, walking calmly on instead. There would be no more distractions. They needed to find Naruto and get to the tower in the middle of the forest as soon as they could. The pair walked for what felt like days but couldn't have been more than a couple hours. They just walked through the forest, their senses stretched out in the hopes of finding their missing squad member.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru muttered, tensing. There was something on the wind. It was something bitter and something wrong. It felt more wrong than when Naruto had been separated from them. It was a bitter feeling and it smelled stale. Shikamaru peered through the trees they were amidst, hoping to see who or what was causing the feeling. After the screams, Shikamaru had hoped the wrongness would just fade away. How foolish he had been. But again, he was pressed with the question of _what_ would cause such a wrong feeling.

"I know," Sasuke replied in a hiss. He reached down to his weapons pouch and pulled out a kunai, Shikamaru mirroring him quickly. Sasuke turned slowly, pressing his back to Shikamaru's. The duo stood there, both tense and ready. "We didn't imagine it," the Uchiha hissed, more to himself than to Shikamaru.

"No, no we- get down!" Shikamaru dropped to the ground quickly, Sasuke following a split second later. They hit the ground harshly and Shikamaru attempted to peer through the trees once again The trees were shredded along the level the boys' heads had been at when they were standing. "What…?" Shikamaru flinched and threw himself to the side so he was flat on his stomach, his hand on Sasuke's arm to drag the Uchiha down with him. Not missing a beat, Shikamaru leapt to his feet, pulling Sasuke with him.

"Shikamaru, what the hell?" Sasuke spat, looking around them. His eyes widened as he took in the tress around them. "Shikamaru," Sasuke's voice dropped in volume. He looked at his brunette teammate, surprised to see the same look on his face that Naruto had been wearing when the blond pushed them off the tree branch. "Shika...maru?" Sasuke hesitate.

Shikamaru stared at Sasuke, his hearing stretched out to the point that it was hurting his chakra. He stared at his teammate and hissed. "Move! Run!" He gave Sasuke a look that sent the Uchiha running, Shikamaru right behind him. It was just… wrong. The air was so thick with wrongness that it was becoming harder for Shikamaru to breathe. "Shit," he cursed, taking a deep breath as he tried to keep up with Sasuke who, it seemed, was also being affected by the wrongness in the air. Shikamaru went down first, falling to his knees with a strangled gasp. Sasuke went down second, his breathing slow and shallow. Shikamaru hunched over closer to the ground, a part of him hoping that the closeness to the earth would help him breathe. What was in the air?

His answer came in the form of a light, breathy laugh that sent chills down both the Nara and the Uchiha's spines. Shikamaru clutched his chest, gasping in an attempt at taking in more air. His heart was pounding and his face was breaking out in a light sweat. He was terrified. Would they die at the hands of this unknown stranger? Shikamaru didn't know. He definitely hoped not. But he couldn't deny that he was genuinely terrified of dying.

"Oh my little Genin," the person cooed. Shikamaru let out a sound that was a mix between a cough and a sob. "My weak, little Genin." Sasuke hissed out a curse somewhere in front of Shikamaru but the brunette couldn't bring himself to smile. With the threat of death lingering, Shikamaru was having a hard time finding any humor. "Nara Shikamaru, a Genin unworthy of note."

"Then why," Shikamaru gasped, "do you know my na-" he broke off and screamed, clutching at his head as the person exerted an incredible amount of killer intent. His head was hurting so much. Shikamaru dug his palms into his eye sockets and screamed painfully, clawing at his scalp. It hurt. It hurt so very much. The person laughed again and the killer intent eased up a little bit. Shikamaru didn't removed his hands from his face, though. He didn't want to see anything. Maybe if he pretend it wasn't real, it would go away.

"Then there is Uchiha Sasuke." The way the person purred Sasuke's name caused Shikamaru to shoot up and reach out for Sasuke only to hunch over again at the pressure in the air. "The last Uchiha of Konoha, and an avenger."

"No," Shikamaru protested, clutching at his chest.

"I am not," he heard Sasuke hiss, "the _last_ Uchiha. That man… Ah!" He groaned out painfully.

"You Genin," the person sighed dramatically, "need to learn your place. Why is everyone back-talking me today? I just don't understand it." Shikamaru got the impression that the man was grinning at them, even though he couldn't see it. "And you're all so weak. You're weak yet you talk back. All bark and no bite, right?"

"We are not _weak_!" Shikamaru cried out, forcing himself out of his hunched position.

"Perhaps some of you aren't," the person agreed lightly. Shikamaru took a deep breath and winced, looking around for the source of the pressure and, he was sure, the wrongness. Standing a few feet away from Sasuke stood a man that looked familiar but strange to Shikamaru. His head pulsed and he reached up instinctively to hold his head. "You aren't, maybe," the man smirked, "but I know that Sasuke is."

"SASUKE IS NOT WEAK!" Shikamaru screamed, not taking the time to be startled by the volume of his voice. The man seemed to be a little shocked and Sasuke let out an ungodly squeak. "He is strong, stronger than you. I've seen him train, I've seen him fight. You don't know what the _fuck_ you're talking about!" Shikamaru glared at the man, his breath coming in short pants. He was surprised when the pressure was alleviated some and he eyed the stranger suspiciously. The man held out his arms and only shrugged, smirking coldly at the two boys of Team Seven. Sasuke gasped and sat up quickly, staring at the pale man before him.

The three remained in quiet for a few seconds, no one daring to make the first move. The pale man seemed quite content to let the Genin move first and Shikamaru couldn't pass up a free play like that. Quickly, Shikamaru brought his hands together to form the rat hand seal. In a quiet voice, Shikamaru said, "Shadow Imitation Jutsu." The shadows connected between him and the pale man rather quickly and Shikamaru shakily rose to his feet. The pale man was still smirking, even when Shikamaru tested his jutsu's success by putting his arms on either side of his head at an angle so it looked like both he and the pale man had moose horns. Shikamaru cocked his head to the side with a pleased smile on his face that quickly turned to discomfort when Sasuke jumped to his feet and slammed his fist in the center of the pale man's face. Both Shikamaru and the pale man stumbled back at the force of the punch and Shikamaru's jutsu flickered for a moment before vanishing completely.

With a groan, Shikamaru ran at the pale man to help Sasuke inflict as much damage on the guy as possible. Sasuke landed a few punches on the man that didn't seem to do much damage and Shikamaru reached them only to have the pale man grab his shoulders, knee his stomach, and throw him carelessly to the right. Shikamaru groaned and curled on his side, clutching his stomach as he hacked onto the ground and partly on his face. He watched through squinted eyes as Sasuke and the pale man continued to exchange blows. The pale man seemed to be easily blocking Sasuke's punches and kicks and seemed to only be there to entertain himself.

At the same time that Shikamaru gagged, the pale man slammed his knee into Sasuke's stomach and he grabbed the Uchiha by the throat. He then proceeded to pin Sasuke to a tree and Shikamaru could only lay on the ground, coughing helplessly, as Sasuke began to gasp for air.

"Oh Sasuke-Kun," the pale man cooed. Shikamaru tried to swallow his coughing fit, hoping to hear what the pale man had to say. "You're so alike. You and the other boy are just so similar. Hasn't anyone taught you to learn your enemy before attacking? I am _much_ more powerful than you." Shikamaru coughed and attempted to roll onto his back. He failed, wincing at the pain moving brought to his abdomen. There was a pause where only Sasuke's choking breath and Shikamaru's coughs could be heard. Then the pale man spoke once again. "I am Orochimaru," he whispered so that Shikamaru had to strain to hear, "and I can grant you power. You can become as powerful as me, Sasuke-Kun. And with your Sharingan, you can become useful to those around you." Shikamaru's stomach ached and his gut churned. Something was wrong. How did this man, this Orochimaru guy, know about Sasuke's Sharingan? And what could he want with it? Shikamaru ground his teeth together and he slowly rolled onto his stomach, wincing at the pressure on his abdomen. "I want you," Orochimaru purred, "to have power." Something led Shikamaru to believe that Orochimaru added '_to have power_' on as an afterthought. "Your Sharingan and my skills…"

"Sasuke," Shikamaru breathed, letting out a cry of pain when a wave of killer intent pressed down on him.

"Now, Sasuke-Kun!" Orochimaru's voice sounded almost gleeful. "Take my offered power. Take it."

"N-no," Sasuke gasped out. "I d-don't need _anyone's_ help." He let out a choking sound and Shikamaru could only assume Orochimaru had tightened his hand on Sasuke's throat.

"Well," Orochimaru hummed, "I am not giving you an option. I need you to become powerful, Uchiha Sasuke." Shikamaru turned his head to the side and watched Orochimaru lean in. The pale man's arms fell to his side and he stepped away from Sasuke as the Uchiha let out a loud scream of pain. Shikamaru watched Orochimaru step away. "The Cursed Seal of Heaven will serve you well. Until we meet again, Sasuke-Kun." His body flickered out of place and Shikamaru focused back on Sasuke who was curled in on himself, clutching his neck. Shikamaru hissed and pushed himself up. He crawled slowly over to Sasuke and he pulled the brunette into his lap, stroking his face slowly in an attempt at coaxing him out of his ball. When that didn't work, Shikamaru pulled Sasuke's hands away from his neck, a gasp slipping from his lips.

There were two puncture marks on Sasuke's neck and, on his shoulder, were three small tomoes with the larger ends in the center around an invisible circle. They curled slightly toward one another and the power emanating from them felt painfully dark. Shikamaru stared at the mark long after Sasuke covered it again.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru breathed. He reached down and smoothed down his teammate's hair, looking at his face. He was paler than usual and was sweating slightly but he seemed to be unconscious. "Shit. Come on," he muttered, hefting Sasuke up. He threw the Uchiha over his shoulder so it would be easier to carry him and he shakily set off, keeping his senses peeled for his other teammate and for danger. This wasn't good. He needed to find Naruto and get to the tower to get Sasuke medical attention. Shikamaru groaned to himself; this test was turning more troublesome by the minute.


End file.
